Push and Pull
by FrivolousFlare
Summary: Or 'the time Adrien fished a sick Marinette out of the Seine'. After a badly timed transformation, Marinette stumbles on the truth about who Chat Noir really is under the mask. Adrien finally acknowledges his feelings for Marinette, but struggles to reconcile these with his love for Ladybug. As one pulls away, the other clings tighter. Meanwhile, Hawkmoth is scraping the barrel...
1. Chapter 1

**It doesn't matter how many times I promise you and everyone else that I'll finish my other stories before embarking on new ones… I will always end up doing the complete opposite.**

 **In other news (well, related news) I've just finished watching Miraculous! Well, at least what's been released in the English dub. And I frikkin' love it. Mostly for the romance/slice of life stuff, I admit. (The superhero bits don't really do it for me.) But nonetheless I'm really enjoying it. So I decided to try my hand at romance :) I hope you enjoy the story!**

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"Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug said softly, releasing the newly purified akuma back into the air. It fluttered away like petals caught in the breeze and disappeared into the star-scattered sky. Then, with a cry of "Miraculous Ladybug!" she flung her lucky charm – a half-pipe – above her head and watched as it dissolved into red and black magic which whooshed around and cleansed the area.

The de-akumatised victim, a local shop assistant over-stressed from work, mumbled a disorientated thanks and shuffled away, too embarrassed by the ordeal to face the superheroes. Ladybug didn't mind, however. Her earrings beeped; the third spot vanished – she only had two minutes left until she changed back, and she was all the way across Paris from her home… So distracted was she that she didn't notice Chat Noir's fist pointed towards her, primed for their ritual fist-bump, until she knocked into it.

"Ow." She frowned at him, and he grinned bashfully back.

"Whoops. Sorry. But you gotta admit you really walked into that one."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "No time for your lame jokes, Chat Noir. I gotta go before I change back."

"Aw, so soon?" The bashful grin melted into a pout: most likely a playful, perhaps even flirtatious expression, but the glint of sincerity in his eyes didn't go unoticed.

"I had to use my lucky charm pretty early on, remember. I really have to go. See you next time!" With a quick wave, Ladybug unhooked her yo-yo and cast it up then swung silently away.

She knew she wasn't going to make it. There was no way she could get home in two minutes – one and a half now – before transforming back. The most she could hope for was getting over the Seine, otherwise she'd most likely double the travelling time of walking by trying to find a bridge. And at this time of night she did not want to be walking too far home.

Soon, the glittering river slithered into view, illuminated by the moon. Her earrings beeped. Just a little further. With a grunt, she flung her yo-yo out across the water, hooked onto something, and swung. Cold air whipped past her face, freezing her skin. At least the costume had some sort of heat-regulator system as her body was still relatively warm.

Half way across the water now. The opposite bank was coming to meet her… then suddenly it stopped and rose sharply upwards. Marinette wasn't sure what had happened until she felt the icy chill of the Seine enclose her head. She gasped then choked on water as she kicked herself back up to the surface.

The relief of her head breaking through was short lived as the water made the night air ten-times colder to the point where Marinette was sure her skin would turn to ice.

Tikki appeared at her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Marinette," the kwami squeaked. "I tried to hold on as long as I could..."

"I-i-i-it'sss ok-k-kay, T-t-tik-ki..." Marinette shivered, her legs kicking frantically in effort to keep her chest above the water. "N-not your f-f-fault… I ssshhould h-have b-brought ssomething for y-you to eat."

"Come on, we need to get to shore," said Tikki. She flew around and began nudging against the back of Marinette's head. "Otherwise you'll get sick."

Marinette dredged up the memories of swimming lessons she used to take and lunged forward, hating the feeling of her wet-sleeved arms coming into contact with the chilly air. She was three-quarters of the way across the Seine. Only a few more strokes… but already her fingers were retreating into fists and shivering against her palms, and her knees were quaking so much she could barely swim.

Would this be the end of Ladybug? Drowned in a muddy river after a miss-timed transformation?

If only she still had her costume. She wouldn't be so cold, and her muscles wouldn't ache so bad, and she wouldn't be so out of breath…

Her head felt heavy, like river water was pouring in through her ears and filling her skull. Her brain pounded, her eyes grew heavy.

Rivers have beds right? Maybe she could lie down and take a nap…

"Hey, princess. Need a paw?"

* * *

A peaceful night turned dramatic, turned melancholy. Although he had been enjoying a late-night stroll through the Parisian streets, Chat Noir was always glad to have a little action defeating Hawkmoth's latest villain, and even more so to see Ladybug. He had hoped to persuade her to stay a little longer than usual, maybe walk a little with him before heading home. It would be nice to have a chat with her when not being attacked by some monster.

But then, of course, without even indulging him in their usual victory catchphrase, she had fled. Yes, she had activated her lucky charm a little earlier than usual, and yes it had taken a while to use it, but was it really necessary to zip off like that?

With no Ladybug, and no more monsters to fight, continuing the peaceful stroll seemed a depressing concept and so he made a move to head back home. However, as he was pole-vaulting across the river he spotted a figure in the Seine. Upon closer inspection, he realised it was the pretty girl from his class: Marinette.

Chat Noir glanced at his ring; his cataclysm hadn't come into play until the end of the battle, and he still had a few minutes. Enough time to help a damsel in distress. So he thrust his baton into the water, slid down it until his feet were just above the surface, and extended a paw toward the girl. "Hey, princess. Need a paw?"

Marinette tilted her head towards him. The silver moonlight picked out the icy whiteness of her skin and glinted off her wet hair. There was a dazed look in her half-lidded eyes.

"Ch-Ch-Chat N-Noir?"

When she didn't grasp his hand, he reached down and pulled her up by the arm. She was freezing cold and soaked to the bone. He held her flush against his body, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation of her sodden clothes against his skin-tight suit. "Come on, princess. I'll take you home. Don't want you catching a cold."

She shivered and, to his surprise, burrowed her head into his chest. Within seconds, they were leaping across rooftops, leaving glittering trails of water where they went. Chat Noir knew exactly where she lived without having to ask, which was a good thing as she had begun babbling senselessly. It reminded him of how she spoke to him as Adrien, only slightly madder and with chattering teeth.

"Oh, y-you're s-so warm. Like f-fresh croissants. Or _pain au ch-_ _ch_ _ocolat_. Heehee, you're my freshly-baked p-pain au ch-chat..."

Chat Noir felt his face heat up a little. _Her_ pain au chat, huh? Did Marinette have a thing for him as Chat Noir? Ironic, considering her inability to talk to him as Adrien.

"Your t-tail is too long," she mumbled, leaning around to fidget with the leather belt flying out behind him. He readjusted his grip so he didn't drop her squirming body. "C-cat's tails aren't that long. Or f-flat. Can you feel it when I d-do this?"

She yanked on it. Hard. Fortunately, they had just touched down on her balcony, so he was able to pry her away from him before she pulled the belt off altogether.

"Alright, princess. Enough of that. Bed for you, I think. Before you catch a-"

"AaaaTCHOOO!"

"-cold."

Marinette sniffed and swayed on the spot. "Mmm, where am I? Is this your house? Can I have a nap? My eyes hurt and my head is sleepy… or my head is eyes and my sleepy hurts..."

Chuckling, he eased the latch leading to her bedroom open, thanking the stars it was unlocked. He scooped her up again, this time folding her body tight to his so she wouldn't go yanking on his tail again, and awkwardly dropped down onto her bed. He tried to deposit her under her blanket, but this was easier thought that done as she had instead taken to fiddling with his ears. What on earth had gotten into her?

When Chat Noir had finally detached her, he checked his ring. Barely a minute left until he transformed back – but could he really leave her in this state? She wasn't going to get any better if she stayed in those damp clothes. Maybe he could get her parents and they could help her change?

He stealthily ran down the narrow staircase and creaked open her bedroom door, hoping he wouldn't have to go too far to find her parents' room. A loud, deep snore reverberated through the walls and floor.

Brilliant. Just brilliant. They were asleep. Maybe he could wake them up? Or…

Marinette was still babbling, now also rolling around on her bed and cooing softly. At the very least he could get that jacket off and put her purse away. Again, a sentiment easier thought than done, because as soon as he approached, she became even more restless.

"Hey, come on, hold still," he grunted, trying and failing to worm the soaking jacket off of her. His ring beeped. Only seconds left… "Sorry, princess, I have to go. Get under the covers before you freeze." He pulled the bed duvet up over her body and hastily tucked her in. She smiled and snuggled into them, shutting her eyes.

 _Damn, does she look cute…_ Chat Noir shook his head. Where had that come from? Since when had he found Marinette cute? She was sweet and lovely, yeah. And a great friend. But cute? He shook his head again, insistent, and turned to leave, but Marinette grabbed his wrist.

"M'cold," Marinette mumbled. "You're so warm, _mon petit chaton._ My _pain au chat_. My croissant..." She sneezed again; a high-pitched squeak accompanying it. It made Chat Noir's heart melt.

He really had to go… but then she shivered under the blankets and he saw her skin flushed white and red, gleaming under a thin layer of sweat. She was already ill… maybe he could stay until she fell asleep. Keep her warm… On top of the blanket, obviously; nothing indecent.

Giving into temptation, Chat Noir nimbly climbed over her body and sat on her bed, his back pressed against the wall. He slid his legs out to lie down beside her and draped one arm over her body. He could feel her coldness through the blanket against his thumping chest.

Marinette sighed happily and curled her body into his.

Chat Noir blushed again and brushed a lock of wet hair away from her face. Why was his heart thundering like that? Why had he suddenly forgotten how to breathe?

With a flash of light, his costume fizzled away revealing Adrien Agreste. Plagg barrel-rolled through the room, dazed. "What are you doing, Adr-"

"Ssshhh!" Adrien mashed his finger to his lips and glared at the kwami. "You'll wake her up and she'll see me!"

Plagg floated over to him and frowned. "What are you doing here?" he hissed. "We need to leave before she _does_ see you. Why'd you stay here this long?"

"I… don't know. She was wet and ill and I didn't want to just leave her. She _is_ my friend, whether she realises it or not." Adrien looked sadly down at her. "I had to make sure she got home safe and then..."

"And then you wanted a snuggle with your girlfriend, I get it." Plagg yawned. "Humans..."

"She's not my girlfriend. She's just my friend."

"Mmhm, sure. Then why are you so red?"

"Because," Adrien choked. "Because… look at her. She's all… on me and…"

"Well, she's asleep now. So let's go!"

"Alright, alright." Adrien shuffled away from her, but Marinette sensed his movement and rolled closer until he was pinned against the wall with her fast asleep on his arm. "I'm stuck."

"Ah, kid." Plagg sighed. "You're really in it this time..."

Adrien shot the kwami another glower. "Shut up."

Plagg huffed, insulted, and floated away to explore. After a few minutes his scratchy voice drifted up. "Didn't she used to have pictures on the wall?"

"Huh?"

"Pictures of you?"

"Oh, yeah." Adrien craned his neck to scan the walls beneath them. Once covered in photographs of himself, as he'd seen on that television program when Jagged Stone visited the bakery, the walls were now blanket pink. Only the squares of discolouration and dried circles of blue-tac evidenced that there had been any pictures at all. He remembered how embarrassed she had been the next day at school. She had no reason to be, however; he knew she was a big fan of fashion design and he believed what she'd said about the pictures being of clothes instead of him. So why take them down?

Adrien looked back at Marinette, who had stopped shivering and was now smiling in her sleep. She was, however, still on his arm and he wasn't sure he would be able to disentangle himself without waking her up. And it was very late. And he was pretty tired. Maybe if he just shut his eyes for a bit…


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the favourites, follows, and reviews, guys. Means a lot!**

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Marinette could barely breathe when she woke up. Her head felt like it was full of raw bread dough, and it was threatening to ooze out of her nose. What on earth had happened last night? She tried to lift her head, but her brain throbbed and pounded. How had she gotten home last night? And why – she looked down at her damp jacket – wasn't she in her pyjamas? And why was her mattress was cold?

Feeling a sneeze coming on, she ducked her head and exploded into her hand. _Ugh, gross_ , she thought, staring disgusted at the strings of mucus lacing her fingers.

As she tried to remember where she'd left her tissues, Marinette became aware of something behind her. Something warm. Something… breathing? She rolled over, wiping her nose, and came face to face with a black shirt. Why was she in bed with a black shirt? A breathing black shirt. Black shirts couldn't breathe…

Her brain tripped over itself in effort to explain the rising and falling fabric beside her. Someone was _in_ the shirt – that made more sense. She looked slowly up. Black shirt, coloured stripes, white collar and sleeves… tanned neck… slightly parted mouth… fine eyebrows… soft blond hair…

 _ADRIEN AGRESTE!?_

Marinette slammed a hand over her mouth to shush her gasp, and immediately regretted it as she slapped sticky mucus on her cheek. Why was Adrien in her bed? What if he saw her? With snot all over her face! And why was he in her bed!?

Adrien stirred. Marinette bit back another gasp and pulled the blanket over her head. What had happened? Why was he here? How had he gotten here? How did she get in last night? What would her mother think? What would her _father_ think? Visions of Tom Dupain ripping Adrien from her bedding and throwing him off the balcony flashed through her mind.

She had to get him out of there.

Should she offer him breakfast first? Maybe a croissant from the bakery? Or a _pain au chocolat_? Would her parents notice?

And WHY WAS HE IN HER BED?!

Bracing herself for the worst, she peeled the blanket away from her eyes to see…

...nothing. Just a blank, pink wall.

Marinette sighed and flopped on her back. It had been a dream. A hallucination stemming from her cold. She was going crazy. Of course Adrien Agreste wasn't in her bed.

She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed.

Marinette didn't know how long she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to organise her slippery thoughts. Every time she thought she was getting somewhere she would sneeze, or cough, or suddenly remember her gross hand and wonder again where her tissues where. It might have been five minutes, it might have been an hour. There came the sound of someone knocking, and Marinette looked around confused until the trapdoor leading to the rest of the house opened, revealing her mother's face.

"Marinette? Are you awake?"

Groaning, Marinette sat up. Her head swam and a wave of nausea washed through her throat. "I, uh, I-I- aaTCHOOO!"

"Oh dear! You don't sound well!" Sabine pushed the door fully open, clambered up and marched to her daughter's bed. "You have a fever. No school for you today."

"But-"

"No buts, Marinette. I'll phone the school now. You stay in bed. I'll bring up some broth later, and some water. And some tissues."

Marinette remembered again the mucus on her hands and face and felt another burst of nausea. "Thanks, _maman_."

With a final sympathetic smile, Sabine left.

Marinette soon fell asleep again, and had a very strange dream about a giant cat swimming the Seine. And when she went to pet it, it grabbed her and pulled her underwater. She tried to call to Tikki for help, but the kwami was in a glass jar, gurgling cheerfully. And in another glass jar was Adrien, and he was staring at her.

"What's on your face?" he laughed, voice muffled by the glass.

Marinette touched her face and her fingers came away sticky with something red and black. Blood? She looked up; Adrien was laughing now. She tried to tell him she didn't know what it was, but whenever she spoke she sneezed, and each sneeze sent waves of black and red streaming from her nose, until the water was completely opaque and she could barely see her hand in front of her face.

"A-a-a-TCHOOO!"

Marinette sat up. More warm mucus dribbled over her mouth which she wiped away in disgust. She noted a small tray at the end of her bed with a glass of water, a packet of tissues, and a box of aspirin. Her clock read _11.56am._

Leaning forward, Marinette grabbed the tissues and wiped her hands and face, then blew her nose. There were crusty patches on her blanket where mucus had rubbed off her fingers and cheek during her nap; she made a mental note to change her bedding the minute she felt like she could stand without fainting.

After a couple of aspirin and a long drink of water, Marinette settled down again and waited for the medication to take effect. Her dream was slipping away, and she tried desperately to hold on to it. Water, glass jars, a giant cat… Adrien. _ADRIEN._ She yelped and sat up again. Adrien was in her bed this morning!

Or was he?

No. It was another dream, she'd already decided that. A very vivid, real-feeling dream, where the only odd thing was Adrien in her bed. A very nice dream…

She flushed crimson. A very _inappropriate_ dream for a fourteen-year-old.

Marinette grabbed another tissue and blew her nose again. At this rate she'd need several boxes to get her through the day. She looked to the spot on her bed where Adrien had supposedly been in her dream and tried not to think about how the mattress was wrinkled and dented, as if someone had been sleeping there. And the crease in her pillow where her head had definitely not been. And the blond hair…

 _The blond hair!?_

She snatched it up to inspect. Between her fingers the golden strand glinted in the light pouring from the window above. How had this gotten there? It was a dream, right?

Right?

Marinette glanced around for somewhere to safely store the hair for examination when her head was less groggy and she could think straight. Eventually, she decided on folding it in a tissue and leaving it on her pillow where she'd found it.

She felt like she was forgetting something important, and scrabbled around trying to remember it. What happened last night? It was still a blur – she'd have to wait to figure that out. The wrinkled bed? No, that was to do with the Adrien mystery. The cold? It was nearly winter – no wonder she was getting ill. The damp day clothes she was still wearing? Probably had something to do with what happened last night. Tikki?

Tikki?

Where was Tikki!?

"Waah!" With a wail, Marinette leapt out of bed, swinging her head this way and that, hunting for her purse…

There, under the bed. She snatched it up, yanked it open…

No Tikki.

"Tikki? Tikki! Where are you?" she yelled, not bothering to keep her voice low. "Tikki!" Marinette scrambled out of bed and flung herself down the staircase, stumbling down the steps.. "Tikki!"

"Marinette!"

The little red kwami floated up from the desk where she had been nibbling a cookie.

"Tikki, there you are!" Marinette stumbled over to her, wobbled, and collapsed in her chair. Tikki flew onto her shoulder and nuzzled her neck.

"How are you feeling, Marinette? We were really worried about you."

"I'm fine, just ill. For a moment I thought I'd lost you." Marinette laughed weakly then frowned. "Wait, we?"

"Uhh..."

"Tikki?"

"Marinette?"

Someone knocked on her door. Yelping, Marinette launched herself towards the stairs, tripped and fell face-down halfway up just as her mother came into view, carrying a bowl. However, Sabine hastily put it down and hurried over to her daughter.

"Marinette, are you okay? Stay in bed; you're ill."

"But, _maman_..."

"Bed. Now." Sabine heaved Marinette to her feet and helped her back to bed. Then she went back to retrieve the bowl. "I've brought you some lunch. Eat what you can. How do you feel?"

"A little better..."

"Good." Sabine pressed the back of her hand to Marinette's forehead. "You still have a temperature though. I think you'll stay home tomorrow too. Eat up and get some rest. And stay in bed."

With a kind, but stern, look, Sabine left. Before Marinette to get up, Tikki zipped to her.

"You heard her, Marinette. Stay in bed and get better. You have to recover as quickly as you can before another akuma attacks."

"Chat Noir can handle it," Marinette muttered, pouting. "He's not incapable."

"But only you can purify akumas." Tikki nudged the spoon in the bowl of soup Sabine had left on the shelf behind the bed.

"Oh yeah." Marinette grabbed the bowl and spoon and took a few thoughtful mouthfuls. It was warm and soothing as it run down her throat, softening the sandpaper-like feeling. When she had devoured half the bowl, she realised she was still in her damp – but nearly dry – clothes and decided to change into her pyjamas. After that, Tikki refused to engage her in conversation until she had eaten all of the soup.

"I suppose you want to know what happened last night," Tikki said.

Marinette nodded eagerly. "It's driving me mad."

"What do you remember?"

"Um." Marinette shut her eyes and tried to think back. Yesterday… she'd been at home, taking down the pictures of Adrien littering her walls. Even though she'd explained the situation to him – although she wasn't sure if he believed her or not – she didn't want it happening again. She remembered putting the pictures in a box, safely stowed under her bed. Then…

Then the akuma attacked.

"Across the city," Marinette murmured. "There was a fight. But we defeated it. And then… I was going home but I transformed before I got back. And… I fell in the Seine! That explains the wet clothes..."

Tikki nodded. "Then what?"

"Then. Then Chat Noir found me. And then…" She frowned and rubbed her temple. "I don't remember. It's all a blur after that. He must have taken me home. And then… when I woke up…" She gasped. "Adrien! But no, that was a dream, wasn't it?"

Tikki shrugged, avoiding her eyes.

"Oh, Tikki." Marinette sighed heavily and buried herself in her bedding. "I think I'm going crazy. It felt so _real."_

The next few days were a blur. Marinette drifted in and out of sleep, never sure if she was fully awake. A few times she thought she saw people in her room; Adrien, Alya, Chat Noir. Once she saw what she imagined Hawkmoth must look like – an ominous figure in swirling black fabric with giant wings. But they were never really there, just left over images from another strange dream.

It was a surprise, therefore, when she woke up on Thursday morning with a clear head and the ability to breathe through her nose. It was 6am: earlier than she would usually get up for school but she was glad of it today. The first thing Marinette did was scoop up the tissues which littered her bed and floor, and drop them in the bin by the door. Then she yanked her bedding off and chucked it in a pile in the corner. No way was she sleeping in that germ-ridden bed any longer.

After a long, hot shower, during which she washed her hair twice, she felt like herself again with all traces of illness disappearing down the drain. Marinette dressed quickly, packed her school bag, and hurried downstairs. Sabine and Tom were, as expected, in the bakery. However, they rushed her out before she could step inside.

"Even if you are better, I don't want any lingering germs finding their way onto our pastries," Sabine explained. "Are you sure you're okay to go in today?"

"I'm fine, _maman_. Totally better now. I just want to get out of the house and stretch my legs."

"Well, you're a little early for school, but..."

"That's fine. I'll take the scenic route. Maybe I'll eat breakfast in the park..."

Sabine smiled. "I'm glad, and I think breakfast in the sunshine is a wonderful idea. I'll grab you something – you go put on a scarf and jacket. I don't want you getting sick again."

When Marinette returned downstairs after running up to grab a few warm things, Sabine was waiting with a paper bag. "Here. Now, off you go! We'll see you at lunch."

"Bye!"

Marinette waved at her dad through the door to the bakery then turned and slipped out the back. It was a cool, crisp autumn day. Golden leaves fluttered in the wind and skidded across the pavement like boats on a pond. The sky was a clear, bright blue. A perfect day.

Whistling cheerfully as she went, Marinette headed towards the park where she found an empty bench to perch on. Her mother had packed her a croissant – still warm – for breakfast. The crisp outer layer flaked when she bit into it, and the yellow middle all but melted in her mouth. She noticed Tikki sniggering in her purse and unclasped it.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. That croissant looks good though."

Marinette smiled ruefully and tore off a corner. "Here."

"Mmmm. It's good. It would be better with something sweet though."

"Maybe a _pain au chocolat_ next time, hm?"

Tikki pressed her mouth together as if suppressing another giggle and ducked down to avoid further questioning.

As she enjoyed the rest of her croissant, she noticed a black cat slinking down an alley, and it reminded her of Chat Noir and her blurred memory. However, she didn't really want to think about it – she was happy believing that he'd simply taken her home, she'd crawled into bed and fallen asleep, then dreamt that Adrien was next to her. It was the only thing that made sense.

But why didn't it feel right?

Ten minutes later, Marinette strolled into school. She didn't realise how early she was until she traipsed up to her classroom and found only Max was already there. He waved hello, but his eyes went straight back to the book he was pouring over. Marinette checked her phone – twenty minutes until class started.

Eventually, Alya arrived and hugged her tight. "Girl! You _finally_ made it back! Why haven't you been returning my texts or calls? I had to go to your house to find out you were sick."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Marinette giggled nervously. "I was kinda out of it… I don't really remember much."

"It's fine, just don't do it again. I'm more concerned that you're here. Before me. Early. Are you sure you're not still sick?"

"Positive." She smiled. "Just didn't fancy rushing around like crazy this morning. Have I missed much?"

Alya launched into a brief overview of what she'd missed in class over the past few days, followed by a detailed account of every single piece of gossip, even about people Marinette hadn't ever met.

"But that's all sorted out now, apparently. What else… oh yeah, Adrien was ill."

Marinette's heart stopped. _It was just a hallucination._ "Adrien was ill? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He only missed a day. There were some pretty funny rumours going around when both you and him missed school on Monday, but Chloe squashed all of them." Alya laughed. "He was back on Tuesday. Just a cold. Sounds like he had a lighter case of what you had."

"Yeah, maybe there's a bug going around?"

Alya shrugged. "Maybe. Speaking of… Hey, Nino! Adrien!"

The two boys waved as they entered the classroom, with Nino quickly rushing up to give Alya a one-armed hug over the desk. "Hey, Marinette! Glad you're feeling better today!"

"Thanks, Nino." Marinette grinned then turned her attention to Adrien, who had sat down without a word and was arranging his notebook on his desk. Nino caught her gaze and nudged him.

"Hm? Oh, hey girls." Adrien finally turned, first to Alya, then with what may have been slight hesitation, he looked at Marinette.

Her heart stopped. Again. Without her pictures on the wall, she'd almost forgotten how beautiful he was. _Almost._ He flashed a smile, those gorgeous green eyes glinting like sun-dappled leaves, like light-struck peridots, like a cat's…

Like a cat's?

His smile faded a little. "Marinette? You okay?"

But Marinette couldn't speak. She was staring at his hair. Blond, sleek, shiny, like the hair she found on her pillow. Where she'd dreamt Adrien had been sleeping.

Something clicked in her mind.

Chat Noir had brought her home. But Chat Noir had used his cataclysm during the fight. By the time he got her home, he must have been near to transforming back.

Someone had been in her bed. Someone blond.

Chat Noir was blond.

Adrien was blond.

Chat Noir was in her room when she fell asleep.

Adrien was there when she woke up.

Which meant…

"Girl? Marinette? Marinette!"

Someone clicked their fingers in front of her face, drawing her back to the real world. Adrien was giving her a funny look – was that a hint of worry in his eyes? Nino had a similar expression, whereas Alya was hiding amusement behind arched eyebrows.

"You sure you're better? You totally zoned."

"I, uh…" Marinette flickered between Alya, Adrien, and Nino. She abruptly stood, banging her knees on her desk, and lurched out of her seat. "I just something remembered in the corridor so I gotta go now but back soon be...I? Me? Uh…"

What nonsense was she spewing? Did she care? No. Marinette stumbled down the steps and ran out of the room, ignoring Alya calling after her.

The corridor was packed with students heading to their lessons. A few of them stared at her as they passed, but Marinette paid them no head. She had to get away. But where?

She didn't think, she just walked. Soon, she reached the nurse's office and threw herself inside.

"Madame Dambois! I, uh…"

Madame Dambois, a steely-haired woman with thin glasses and a beaky nose frowned at her. "Yes, mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng?"

"I, uh… was ill. And I thought I was better but my hurt heads. I mean my head hurts and uh..."

Dambois sighed and gestured her to come inside. "If you weren't completely better you shouldn't have come in."

"I'm sorry. I am better. I just have a headache. Could I sit here for a bit?"

Dambois sighed again. "Very well. Take an aspirin as well. If you're not feeling better by the end of first period I'm calling your parents to pick you up."

"Yes, Madame Dambois. Thank you."

As the nurse bustled around collecting water and aspirin, Marinette took a seat and tried to get her breathing under control.

But how could she possible be calm now?

When Chat Noir…

Adrien Agreste…

They were the same person!

* * *

As Marinette sped away, Adrien felt his stomach sink. Did she know? No. She couldn't possibly…

Could she?

He thought back to that night. He hadn't _meant_ to fall asleep. Her bed had just been so comfy, and she was sleeping so peacefully.

And she was _on his arm,_ and he couldn't get up without waking her. Then she would definitely have seen him.

When he'd woken up, she was still asleep, completely hidden by her blanket. Thankfully she'd rolled off his arm, and it was still early, so he'd been able to slip out without her noticing and creep up the trapdoor to her balcony. Surprisingly, Plagg was ready to transform into Chat Noir, having sniffed out something to eat overnight, so he was able to get home quickly before Nathalie came by his room to wake him up.

But before he disappeared, he'd stolen one last look at the sleeping Marinette. She hadn't moved. There was no way she could have seen him.

He hoped.

Adrien shook his head. Definitely not. She had always been a little jumpy around him. Maybe because he was a model and was beginning to gain recognition for it. Maybe because he was Gabriel Agreste's son, and she idolised Gabriel Agreste. Maybe because she still hadn't warmed up to him after that gum incident on his first day of school.

Nah, she'd been perfectly friendly to him at other times.

Sure, usually that was around other people. And she could talk to other people. But she couldn't talk to him.

But she'd given him that little good luck charm. That had to count for something, right?

He was shaken from his thoughts by Nino nudging him. "Dude, you okay? You totally zoned. Turning into Marinette?"

"Huh? Oh. No. I was just thinking?"

"About Marinette?"

"Huh?"

Adrien felt himself flush as Nino wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "C'mon, dude. Don't tell me you don't have a thing for her."

"I… don't? She's just a friend. A good friend. I love her and all but… she's just a friend." _A friend who looks very cute when sleeping… Wait, what? No. What about Ladybug – she's the one I'm in love with._

"Uh-huh, sure. Okay."

Adrien raked his fingers through his hair and glanced at the door. Maybe she was still feeling ill?

Maybe?

* * *

Marinette returned for second period, looking a little pale but otherwise fine. She quickly returned to her seat with a strange look in her eye. Something between steely determination and horror. Whenever Adrien glanced behind him she was staring resolutely ahead with the same expression, but judging from her notes she wasn't listening to the teacher at all.

Finally the lunch bell rang. Adrien barely had time to pack away his notebook when Marinette breezed past him and marched out of the classroom. He exchanged glances with Nino and Alya, who both shrugged.

"What's gotten into her?" Alya asked, leaning forward. "She's been acting real wacko."

"Maybe she's still ill?" Nino suggested before giving Adrien a meaningful look. "Maybe someone should go check on her."

Adrien pursed his lips – surely one of her closer friends should go after her? But when Nino kicked his shin, he stood up. "All right, fine," he muttered and hurried away.

Marinette was a fast walker, but with his longer legs Adrien managed to catch up with her on the steps outside.

"Hey, Marinette! Wait!" he called, reaching forward and grasping her wrist. She froze, and he bumped into her back. "Oof!"

"Sorry!" she breathed, whirling around. "I shouldn't have stopped that like. Like that. Uhh..." Her eyes were hooked on his hand still clamped around her wrist.

"Oh, uh, sorry." Adrien hastily let go. "I just wanted to check that you're okay? You've been a little… off all morning. Something wrong?"

"Nope!" she chirped, too quickly. "Everything is dunky-hory. Dory-hunky. Hunky peachy. Um, wait. No. Yes. Everything's great, fantastic even. Well, it was when you got here. Wait, no, it was great before, not that it wasn't great after but, um… uhh…"

As she babbled, her cheeks grew steadily redder until she resembled ripe strawberry. Adrien barked out a laugh. "I'm glad everything is, uh, hunky peachy."

"Yup. Um, so yeah. Gotta go. Thanks for checking me out. No, checking me up. Up on me. Checking- ohh..." Mortified, she stepped backwards, spun around, and charged down the street. Adrien watched her leave. Her rambling was nothing new but… he really thought they were getting somewhere in their friendship. Just when she had beginning to string sentences, she reverted back into a stuttering mess.

Just what was going on?


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the continued support, all. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

It had been five days since Marinette returned to school, and she was still acting strange. Not that anyone noticed apart from Adrien. To the rest of the class, she was still friendly and sweet, if a little clumsy, and still dissolved into a puddle of word vomit whenever in the same vicinity as him. But Adrien, and likely Alya, noticed a foreign expression in her eyes, as if perpetually worried about something.

It was lunch-time and Adrien had only just finished depositing his things in his locker when the akuma alert went off. Teachers began herding students into classrooms, telling them to stay silent whilst they waited out the attack.

Adrien ducked out of sight as one of the teachers poked his head into the locker room, searching for stragglers. After a few seconds the teacher seemed satisfied that it was empty and disappeared. Adrien sighed and looked down at his shirt where he knew Plagg was hiding. "Looks like Paris needs me again. Plagg, Claws Out!"

Transformation complete, he leapt out the window and looked around for signs of trouble. Nothing, nothing, nothing… wait. His ear twitched; something was happening near the Eiffel Tower. Why did so many villains like the Eiffel Tower?

Nonetheless, he extended his baton and began leaping towards the site of attack, soon spotting a familiar red-clad hero swinging nearby.

"Greetings, m'lady!" he called. "Race you? If I win you give me a kiss, deal?"

Perhaps Ladybug didn't hear, but Chat Noir was sure she fumbled her next leap and narrowly missed crashing into a building.

The villain – Red Whine – was spraying people with a seemingly bottomless bottle of wine. Whoever got splashed was reduced into a crying mess.

"Ah!" cried Red Whine. "Chat Noir and Ladybug! Come to stop me, have you? You can try, but you'll never succeed! Like a vintage Château Margaux, I will blow you away!"

"Put a _cork_ in it!" Chat Noir yelled, swinging his baton. "But I will commend you on your wine choice. A good _Chât-_ eau is my favourite!" He glanced quickly at Ladybug for her reaction, but she was already swinging towards the villain.

He was dressed as a waiter, except the black shirt glistened red as if saturated with dark wine, and his skin was a deep purple. "I wouldn't expect an alley cat like you to know anything about fine wines. Soon I'll have you mewling like a kitten!"

Red Whine pointed his bottle towards Chat Noir, poised it to shoot… when suddenly it exploded in his hands and fell in a fountain of black wine and glittering glass shards. A tiny purple butterfly fluttered free, only to be caught by Ladybug's yo-yo.

As soon as it had started, the battle was over.

Ladybug flung her lucky charm – which looked like a conker – into the air. Red Whine disappeared in a cloud of dark purple, and was replaced by man in a dark shirt with slicked-back hair and a thin moustache. He blinked hard at his surroundings then focused his gaze on Chat Noir.

"What? What's happening? Where am I?"

"Bad day at work?" Chat Noir said, offering the man a hand up. "Or just too much to drink?"

"What? Oh..." He looked down at the shards of broken glass as they were hit by a flurry of red and black, reforming a complete bottle. He picked it up, sighing sadly, and stared at the label. "I suppose you could say a bad day at work. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."

Looking suitably abashed, he sloped away, clutching the bottle. Around them, people who had been struck by the magic wine stopped screaming, and were getting to their feet, brushing dust from their clothes. Chat Noir quickly located Ladybug and leapt towards her.

"Well, that was quick, all thanks to my distracting technique. But nice work, Bugaboo."

Ladybug gave him a withering frown. "Don't call me Chat, that. I mean that, Chat."

"Aw, come on! You know you love it." He grinned and twitched his eyebrows, but she turned away.

"Not today."

"What's wrong?"

Ladybug didn't reply but began walking, pigtails twitching in the breeze. Chat Noir dashed forward and grabbed her arm.

"Buga- Ladybug. Please, what's up? You know you can tell me anything."

"Chat..." she said, looking at him over her shoulder. The hint of a blush dusted her face. "You know I can't."

"Well, not that obviously. But… something's upset you. What is it?" He mustered a friendly smile, and thought it worked as she faltered and flushed darker. "You're my friend, Ladybug. I'm concerned."

"It's nothing," she replied unconvincingly.

"I know it's not nothing. Come on. Is it that boy you like?"

That hit a nerve. Ladybug's blue eyes widened and her whole body drooped. "I...something like that."

"Well, he's an idiot. Whoever you are under that mask, that boy must be mad not to love you."

"That's enough, Chat," she snapped, wrenching her hand out of his. "Goodbye."

He could only watch as she swept out of sight.

* * *

The rest of the school day dragged by at the speed of an arthritic snail, and by the time Marinette got home she was exhausted. She slumped on her bed, bag dropping forgotten to the ground, and attempted to smother herself with her pillow. How awkward had that battle been?

Well, not the battle itself. That was surprisingly quick; with Red Whine giving in so easily to Chat Noir's distraction it had been child's play getting the bottle. But afterwards…

Now that she knew who was under the mask, she couldn't un-see it. It was so _obvious_. She had hoped that when she next saw Chat Noir she would realise that it couldn't possibly be Adrien Agreste underneath, but the moment she glimpsed that tanned face and those green eyes she knew it couldn't have been anyone else.

And that _look._ Before she escaped back to school to transform, when he was holding her hand and staring at her. _Smiling_ at her. That gentle, caring, _loving_ look in his eyes. The way she'd dreamed Adrien would look at her one day.

But he hadn't been looking at her.

He'd been looking at Ladybug.

If Adrien was Chat Noir, and Chat Noir loved Ladybug, then there was no way Adrien could like her, Marinette.

Marinette scrambled around for her purse and snapped it open then buried her face again. "Tikki… Tikki, did you know?" she croaked.

After a few seconds she heard Tikki reply in her ear. "I did. I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marinette asked, voice muffled by her pillows.

"Because I wasn't allowed to. And because you wanted to keep your identities safe. You were right to. It was a mistake that you found out."

Marinette lifted her head slowly. Tikki was looking at her reproachfully, as if worried she would be yelled at.

"To be honest," the kwami continued, "I'm surprised you didn't ask for confirmation from me until now."

"I wanted to be sure. I was hoping I was wrong. I thought when I saw Chat Noir I'd realise that it couldn't be Adrien, but..." She buried her head again. "This is terrible."

"Is it?"

"Yes! Adrien will never love me because he's too hooked on Ladybug!"

"But you _are_ Ladybug," Tikki pointed out. "So he _does_ love you."

"No. He loves a mask and a costume. Not _me."_

Tikki landed next to Marinette's head and tried to prise her hands from her face. "Do you still love Adrien?"

"Yes."

"Even though he's Chat Noir too?"

"Yes."

"Then don't you think Chat Noir would still love Ladybug knowing she's also Marinette?"

"It's different, Tikki!" Marinette sat up and rolled onto her back. "I see Chat Noir… and I know it's really just Adrien underneath in a costume. He wouldn't look at me and think 'Oh, it's just Ladybug without her costume'. He'd think 'Oh, Ladybug is just Marinette with a stupid mask' and lose all interest!"

"Come on, Marinette. Don't be so negative." Tikki settled herself against her cheek and nuzzled it softly. "It'll all work out in the end."

Marinette stroked the kwami with the tip of her finger then sighed. "Thanks, Tikki, but I think this is a lost cause. I'm going to get started on my homework."

Marinette shuffled over to sit at her desk, dragging her school bag behind her. She pulled out her books, found an empty page, and began writing.

She only stopped a few hours later when she was called down to dinner, after which she came straight back upstairs and returned to her homework. Upon finishing, she began flipping aimlessly through her textbooks and thought about playing a few rounds of _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_.

Then something thumped above her.

Marinette's insides froze. Was it a burglar? A murderer? She peeked through her window; the sky was a darkening blue.

The trapdoor rattled, a dark figure visible through the glass. Marinette was glad she'd remembered to lock it.

Then, someone knocked.

Why was someone on her roof? How did they get there?

"Hey, princess? You in?"

Ah, that explained that.

"It's Chat Noir," Marinette hissed to Tikki. "I mean Adrien. What do I do?"

"Let him in?" Tikki suggested.

"I can't do that!"

"Tell him to go then."

"But… Ahh, fine. You'd better hide, Tikki."

When the kwami was out of sight, Marinette took a cursory glance around to make sure her room was in order and nothing incriminating had been left out, then she climbed to her bed, reached up, and opened the trapdoor. She watched anxiously as a pair of black ears dropped from the night, followed by a handsome face and leather-clad shoulders.

"I thought you were gonna leave me locked outside. I was about to start scratching at your window," said Chat Noir with a cheeky grin.

"Ch-chat Noir! What a… pleasant surprise?" Marinette smiled and stepped back. He dropped lightly onto her floor and looked below him at her room.

"You've redecorated." His eyes lingered on the blank walls which had once held a myriad of Adrien photos.

"Didn't you notice last time you were here?" Marinette asked, cursing the heat rising in her face. "You were the one who got me home that night."

"I'm surprised you remember. You were pretty out of it."

"I was?"

"Oh yeah. It was really funny. And to answer your question, I can't feel it when you pull my tail. But I can feel my ears." He gave her an odd look – half-amused, half-serious.

"I didn't, did I?"

"Oh yeah. I understand though. They are _ear-_ resistible."

Marinette threw a pillow at him. "That was terrible."

"No worse than some of the other things you said."

Marinette heaved a long, deep sigh and collapsed on the edge of her bed. Normally she didn't mind Chat's company as Marinette. He was goofy and flirty and a little bit arrogant, but he could be sweet and sensitive. But now that she realised it was the _Adrien_ in him coming out… she couldn't bear to be in the same room as him. "What do you want, Chat?"

"Hm?" Chat Noir looked away from her new Jagged Stone poster. "I just came to check on you. You were really ill when I got you here last week, and I heard you missed a few days of school because of it."

 _Heard about it, sure. Or maybe you noticed because you sit in front of me every day._

"Yeah. I did. But I'm better now."

"I'm glad to hear it." Chat flashed her a smile. Gentler than his Cheshire grin. "It's not often I fish pretty girls out of the Seine, you know."

"I'm sorry you caught me instead..."

The smile faded slightly. "Marinette?"

Marinette swivelled around to face the wall, but her gaze slipped down to the patch of bed he'd slept on. Where she had found the hair.

 _The hair!_

Paling, Marinette fell off the bed and landed in a crumpled heap. Chat Noir darted over to pull her back to her feet. "Hey, don't go falling for me now, princess."

"Too late for that..." Marinette mumbled.

"What was that?"

"...Talks. Too late for cat talks, don't you think? Don't you have super-heroing to do? Uheheh?"

Chat Noir deposited her back on her bed, his eyes glinting. "Not tonight. Unless an akuma turns up, I'm all yours." He slithered onto the bed beside her and stretched out, rather like a real cat.

 _Adrien Agreste is in my bed. Again._

Feeling another blush coming on, Marinette turned away and slipped down the staircase to the main part of her room. Why had she let him in? And where had she put that hair? The last thing she needed was for Chat Noir to find it, especially after the photograph fiasco.

She spotted it next to her sewing machine: a carefully folded square of tissue in which was concealed one golden hair. Of course, she didn't expect him to go around unfolding tissues in random people's rooms, but after the week she'd had she wouldn't be surprised if he somehow stumbled across it and thought her a crazed stalker.

"Marinette, you okay?"

She yelped because his voice was right in her hear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive spot on the side of her neck. "Don't do that!"

He chuckled, pulling away. How had he gotten down so silently? "I'm sorry."

"What happened that night?" she asked. "I remember parts of it but… a lot of it is still patchy."

Chat Noir padded over to her chaise and sat down, crossing his legs. "You're gonna have to fill in some blanks too. I found you taking a late night dip in the Seine, but I'm not sure how you got there."

"Oh, I must have fallen in during the akuma attack. There was one that night, wasn't there?"

"Good thing I got you out, huh? You must have been in there for a while." Smiling again, he patted the space next to him, and waited for Marinette to join him before continuing. "Well, I pulled you out and took you home. That was when you started yanking on my costume."

Marinette hid her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry about that."

"It's fine. It was a little startling but… I'll let it slide this time," he said. She could practically hear the wink in his voice. "I tucked you into bed. You didn't make that easy either, rolling around and rambling."

"You didn't think to help me get out of my wet clothes, I noticed."

It was Chat Noir's turn to flush. "I, well… I didn't think that would be very appropriate. I was going to get your parents but they were already asleep and I was about to transform back so I couldn't stay."

"Oh, right."

"Besides." He grinned again, baring his teeth. "It was a lot more fun listening to you."

"Oh no," Marinette moaned. "What did I say?"

"I didn't hear a lot of it, but you did come up with some nicknames for me. Let's see… there was _mon petit chaton. Pain au chat._ And, my personal favourite, _croissant."_

Marinette blanched. "I called you a croissant!?"

"You sure did." He waggled his eyebrows. "Don't be embarrassed. It was cute."

But Marinette didn't think it was cute. She tucked her head between her knees and pulled on her pigtails. _Is that why Tikki was laughing at me the other day?_ "Kill me."

"Now now, I don't think I can do that as a superhero."

"Make an exception?"

"Nah, I like you better alive." He slid a hand over hers and eased it away from her hair. "You were ill. I won't hold it against you."

"Did I do anything else?"

She spoke the words into her legs, and she wasn't sure if he'd heard them. But when she find the courage to look at him, he had gone pink and was suddenly very interested in the carpet.

"Chat Noir, what else did I do?"

"Well. You were really cold, okay. And wet. And I, being incredibly hot" - he ignored her snort of derision - "was just too tempting for you."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. You wouldn't let me leave. Grabbed your _freshly baked croissant_ as I was going. I had no choice but to stay with you until you fell asleep."

 _Well, that explains why he was in my bed the next morning…_

Nonetheless, her face burnt with embarrassment. "Are you sure you can't compromise your ethics just once and kill me? Before an akuma gets me?"

She was surprised when he didn't laugh, but instead frowned in concern. "You're really worked up about this, aren't you? You don't have to be; no one outside this room knows. And it wasn't as bad as you're making it out to be. You were sick and tired, and yeah your babbling was kinda weird, but it was also really cute. I was glad to be able to help you."

Chat Noir said this with such sincerity, such a gentle smile, such a soft gleam in his eyes that was so _Adrien_ it made her heart melt between her ribs and pool in the bottom of her stomach. She didn't realise she had started crying until panic flashed across his face and he carefully enveloped her in his arms.

"Sshh, hey, it's okay. Don't cry. Please? I'm sorry, I never would have stayed if I knew she'd be this upset. I just couldn't say no to that face. Please don't be upset. Can I make it up to you? Marinette?"

This only made her cry harder. Why did he have to be so sweet? Why couldn't he just be a cocky jerk? Why couldn't he push her away instead of make her fall even harder for him. Why did he have to be here, now, holding her and rubbing her back and murmuring in her ear.

Yet he was further away than ever.

Eventually her sobs dissipated into hiccoughs, but he continued soothing her until she pushed him away from her. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I just- I've had a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

She could tell him it was over a boy, but he would only tell her the same thing he told Ladybug. So Marinette shook her head. "No. I'll be okay. I'm sorry about that."

"Hey, it's fine. Sometimes things get too much, I understand that. Happens to the best of us." He gently stroked her cheek with a clawed finger. "Happens to me, too."

"I guess..."

"I should probably go. I'm afraid I can't give up another evening keeping you warm, however much I'd like to."

Marinette choked on a giggle.

"Just remember something for me. However bleak things may seem… they'll get better. You just gotta keep going."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. But it's what gets me through the night. I'll see you around, Marinette."

He slunk upstairs, disappeared through the hatch in her roof, and melted into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter for y'all. Thanks for the continued support!**

* * *

It had been over a week since Chat Noir had visited her room, but Marinette still couldn't shake the sadness that had rooted in her heart. Everyday, she went through the motions of waking up, getting dressed, going to school, but the knowledge that Adrien would never really be hers was upsetting her a lot more than it should.

She had taken to going to the library after school and picking out sad romance books to read when she'd done her homework, often late into the night when her body couldn't muster the effort to sleep.

Sometimes, Marinette realised that she was being ridiculous. After all, she was fourteen. Far too young to be getting so upset over some boy. There would be others. Others not smitten with her superhero self, who would love her as _herself._ As _Marinette._

But every time her mind found this route, it would stumble its way back to the core of her depression. _Why couldn't it be_ Adrien _who loved her for her. Why did he have to fall for_ Ladybug?

Several times, Tikki tried to convince Marinette that she was wrong for thinking Adrien would stop loving Ladybug if he found out it was her, but to little avail. Her parents had also caught wind of her broken heart, but nothing they said or did could get her to open up.

Most evenings she was alone in her room. After half-heartedly completing her homework, she would lose herself in another doomed romance, but every now and again she would look up at the trapdoor. Every thump of her heart sounded like the rap of knuckles on glass.

* * *

"What could it be?" Adrien mused as he tapped out a piece of music on his piano. He was stuck on the third page: a chord and melody he just could not fit together however hard he tried. "What's upsetting her so much?"

"You're so worked up over this," Plagg observed. He was sitting on a plate, empty bar the smelly crumbs from a wheel of well-aged Camembert. "And I thought she was just a friend."

"She is. But funnily enough, I care about my friends. I can't stand knowing she's upset. Maybe I should visit her again at Chat Noir..." He scowled when he hit a sour chord and resisted the urge to slam his face into the piano keys.

"Why? What's wrong with Adrien?"

"She can barely say two words to me most of the time. I think I intimidate her. Or maybe she just doesn't like me." Adrien gave Plagg a pleading look. "Do you think she'd respond better to Adrien?"

"Considering Chat's last visit ended in tears..."

"Good point. Alright. I'll try tomorrow."

Unfortunately, this didn't go to plan. On Monday, he pivoted in his seat to give her the most charming smile he could muster.

"Hey, Marinette. Good weekend?"

She weakly returned the smile, nodded, and went back to reading her book. Alya's jaw dropped, but no amount of nudging could stir Miranette from her novel.

On Tuesday he waited outside the classroom for her, hoping to snatch a few words with her before they entered. But again, despite the winning grin which usually elicited positive responses from everyone, she only waved and walked straight past him, unable to meet his eye.

On Wednesday, he stood outside on the steps outside the school. After shaking off Nino, who cast him suspicious glares over his shoulder as he ambled in, he spotted Marinette and Alya.

Alya stopped to say hey, but again Marinette carried on walking.

"Hey, Mari..." he began, but she was already gone. "...nette..."

"What had gotten into her?" Alya asked, more to herself than Adrien. She turned to him, eyes narrowed. "Have you done something to upset her?"

"No! At least I don't think so..."

But what if he had? What if he'd offended her and that's why she wasn't speaking to him? Maybe that's why she'd been depressed lately.

"Alya," he said desperately, grabbing the other girl's shoulders. "Can you find out for me? If I've upset her? If I have then I want to make it up."

"I've already asked her what's up," Alya replied, shaking him off. "She won't say, but I'll ask her if it's about you if you want..."

"Thanks."

At the end of the day, Alya caught up with him, but according to her research Marinette's mood had nothing to do with him.

On Thursday he grew desperate. It had worked before, so why not now?

He waited in the locker room and prayed that it was empty when she entered, which it was. Adrien ducked out of sight until she had her head buried in her locker then approached. He stood behind her, cutting off the easiest path of escape.

"Marinette."

"Nyah!" Marinette's knees buckled and she dropped her bag, books spraying out across the floor. "Wha...huh… you… uh?"

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. Here, let me..." Adrien began scooping up her possessions as quickly as he could whilst she stood like a statue, still babbling.

"I, no, you don't have to… I can pick… uh..."

"Here." Winning grins and charming smiles weren't working, so he instead tried only a slight tilt of the mouth and injected as much emotion as he could into his eyes. But maybe that was wrong because her face turned red.

"I...uhh...I… HAVE GO TO BATHROOM THE. I mean. Bathroom, me. Go. Now. Um. BYE!"

Miranette bolted from the room, leaving Adrien holding a pile of her things next to her open locker. Sighing, he extracted the books for their first few lessons, deposited the rest in her locker and shut the door. Upon he reaching their classroom, he left her books on her desk and took his seat silently.

When she appeared a few minutes later, still pink in the face, she didn't even look at him.

On Friday he tried his fool-proof plan. He didn't want to go through with this one – he really would be cornering her – but she had given him no other choice.

At lunch, he left school through the backdoor, jumped a fence, and jogged to the street corner where he knew she lived.

A bell tinkled merrily when he entered the bakery, and he was immediately greeted by the sweet, warm smell of bread and pastries.

"Afternoon!" someone called from the counter. It was Sabine Cheng, her face split in a wide smile. "It's Adrien, isn't it? You're one of Marinette's friends."

"Yeah, that's me. I was hoping to have a word with her. About school work. Is she in?"

"I… yes, she came in a few minutes ago. She'll be having lunch upstairs… what's so important that it couldn't wait until after lunch break?" The smile had shrunk to a knowing, almost mischievous smirk. It reminded him of Ladybug's.

"Uh, it's about the lesson we have straight after lunch," Adrien lied smoothly. "Normally I'd wait but I figured we should discuss it before the lesson."

"I'll just go and get her, shall I?"

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh please. Call me Sabine. I'll be back in a tick!"

Sabine disappeared through the door at the back, leaving Adrien alone to poke around the bakery shop. It was, as expected, spotless. The glass counter housed trays of delicious-looking goods: rolls; buns; cinnamon swirls; eclairs; croissants…

His gaze lingered on the last tray as he bit back a snigger. Then he blushed. Then a heavy weight landed in his chest and he felt like hugging something. Or someone.

Eventually Sabine reappeared, her smile replaced with a worried frown. "Tom's just told me that Marinette left. She's having lunch out. Maybe you can catch her before your lesson. Sorry, Adrien."

"Oh, that's no problem at all. I'll be heading off then. Thank you."

He was sure his smile was quivering. It fell the moment he stepped back onto the street and dragged his body down as he meandered away. However, he paused after a few metres and glanced behind him.

For a second he saw a face at the window above the bakery. A pretty face with dark hair in pigtails, and blue eyes. But then it was gone.

On Saturday, he was beside himself.

"What have I done!" Adrien yelped, throwing his Chinese dictionary down in frustration. "Why won't she talk to me?"

"That other girl said-"

"I know what Alya said," Adrien snapped. Plagg shirked away and muttered something about wanting compensation for putting up with such behaviour. "Obviously she was wrong. Or Marinette lied. Or she lied. I've done _something._ I just wish she'd tell me _what."_

"I still think this is a lot of effort for someone who's just your _friend,"_ Plagg grumbled.

Adrien glowered at him. "She _is_ just my friend. But I still like her and want her to like me. If only I could talk to her without her running away."

"Why don't you text her? She can hardly run away from her phone."

Adrien slid his phone out of his pocket and frowned at it. "She won't reply."

"Maybe she will. Maybe she can't get past that s-s-s-stutter of hers?"

"I guess it can't hurt to try..." Shrugging, he pulled up his texting app and began a new conversation.

 **Adrien: Hey Marinette :) Just wanted to check in on you. You've been really quiet at school lately. Well, quieter than usual. You okay?**

His finger hovered over the 'send' button. "What do you think, Plagg?"

Plagg glared at him and refused to answer.

"Plagg?" Adrien sighed then flashed an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'll buy you some more cheese to make up for it. The smelliest I can find."

The kwami grinned. "That's more like it," he said drifting towards the phone. He took a second to read the text. "Okay, I guess. Not sure why you want my opinion."

"Because you're the only… sentient being who understands my crazy life." With a fond smile, he lightly scratched the top of Plagg's head. The kwami closed his eyes and pressed himself against his palm, emitting a quiet purr. With his other hand, Adrien sent the text.

But she didn't reply. He checked his phone every hour. The morning bled into the afternoon, and the afternoon melted into the evening, and the evening broke into the night.

Sunday morning bloomed, but there were no new messages from Marinette.

"This is just sad," Plagg remarked when Adrien checked his phone for the twelfth time that morning. "Look at you. How can you say you don't like her at least a little bit after you get so worked up over her not replying?"

"Because she's my _friend_ and I don't want her to hate me!"

"You know, friend is only four letters away from _girlfriend."_

"Plagg! I love Ladybug. You know that."

"Maybe you could love Marinette more?"

Adrien clamped his mouth shut. Damn that little kwami. And damn himself for not having a reply. Yes, he loved Ladybug – he couldn't imagine loving anyone more. But he didn't know anything about Ladybug outside of her superhero work. Yes, her personality was fantastic. Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, her quick wit and clever thinking was tantalising. And her stubborness – irresistible.

And Marinette? He knew she had the same qualities; he saw them shine in her various endeavours. Her compassion for helping others, her delicate laughter, her ability to come up with solutions no matter how menial the problem. Her spark when someone upset her – usually Chloe. And yes, she was pretty cute. Beautiful when she smiled.

But why did she never show that side to _him?_

The only time she'd gotten close was the gaming tournament. She shone that afternoon. That power, that pride, that determination… it had been delicious. And then that heart-melting gesture of giving him her lucky charm.

Adrien slipped his hand into pocket and felt the pink beads, warmed by his body heat.

Maybe Plagg was right. Maybe he could love Marinette more.

But the thought made him feel guilty.

"Alright, enough moping. There's one more thing you haven't tried."

"Plagg? What are you- NO!"

It was too late. Plagg pressed the little green phone button then zipped away before his Chosen could throw him across the room. Adrien picked up the phone in panic, thumb hovering over the red 'end call' button… but he hesitated. Maybe she'd pick up. Maybe…

" _Hi, this is Marinette. I'm not by my phone right now, or maybe I'm in class. Or in the bakery. But leave a message and I'll get back to you! Bye!"_

Even her voice mail was cute.

 _Beeeeeeep._

It didn't register that the beep signalling the beginning of recording had sounded until Plagg appeared by his leg and tugged.

"Hmm? Oh. Oh! Marinette. Hi. I, uh, texted you but you didn't reply. I'm sure you had a good reason but I'm getting pretty worried. That is, a whole bunch of us are. Me in particular though. So I was just wondering if I've done something to offend you? Or hurt you? Whatever it was, I swear I didn't mean to. I'll do anything to make it up. Just name it! So, yeah. Call me. Or text me. Or maybe we can talk tomorrow at school? Okay, bye. This is Adrien, by the way. Agreste. Adrien Agreste. But you probably knew that. Gahh… bye!"

Face darkening, Adrien launched the phone at his bed and hung his head. "That could have gone better."

"You sounded just like Marinette," Plagg sniggered. "All flustered and rambling..."

"Shut up. Could this week get any worse?"

"I know how it could get better. Isn't your father coming home today?"

Adrien lifted his head. "You're right, he is. He said we could have dinner together. I forgot he'd gone, to be honest."

"How? He's famous for being locked up in his house all the time."

"Locked in his room, more like. But he goes away every year for two weeks, always these two weeks. Dunno where he goes, though. Still." Adrien managed a smile and went to reclaim his phone. "At least I have something to look forward to."

After five hours of Chinese lessons, piano practice, and homework, there was a knock on the door.

"Adrien?" said a cool, female voice.

Adrien's stomach tied itself in knots as apprehension settled in his chest. He waited for Plagg to hide before opening the door. "Hi, Nathalie."

"I have some bad news. Your father is very tired after his travelling and-"

"I get it," Adrien interrupted. "He can't see me. I understand. Thanks, Nathalie." He closed the door in her face.

"Adrien?" Plagg ventured. "Are you-"

"No. I need to get out of here. I need to… Plagg, Claws Out."

* * *

" _Hmm? Oh. Oh! Marinette. Hi. I, uh, texted you but you didn't reply. I'm sure you had a good reason but I'm getting pretty worried. That is, a whole bunch of us are. Me in particular though. So I was just wondering if I've done something to offend you? Or hurt you? Whatever it was, I swear I didn't mean to. I'll do anything to make it up. Just name it! So, yeah. Call me. Or text me. Or maybe we can talk tomorrow at school? Okay, bye. This is Adrien, by the way. Agreste. Adrien Agreste. But you probably knew that. Gahh… bye!"_

Marinette sighed and pressed 1 to replay the message. She shut her eyes and let Adrien's voice wash over her, enjoying the flustered tone she so often heard in her own garbled speech.

"Just name it! So yeah. Call me. Or text me. Or maybe we can talk tomorrow at school? Okay, bye. This is Adrien, by the way. Agreste. Adrien Agreste. But you probably already knew that. Gahh… bye!" she recited in perfect timing with the voice message, rolling onto her stomach. Her fingers were itching for the box of photographs underneath her bed. She wanted to pull them out, spread them around and fall into a trance staring into those amazing green eyes… but instead of the usual excited flutter, the thought of looking at his face made her feel sick.

The irony was that a few weeks ago she would have been thrilled to receive the message. Sure, she would probably have reacted the exact same way: by throwing her phone across the room as soon as it started ringing and being too paralysed with fright to even think about answering it. And yes, she also would have listened to the recorded message enough times to memorise it. But it wouldn't be making her feel worse. Every word, every stutter and flustered laugh wouldn't rip her heart into smaller pieces.

Tikki had given up trying to convince her that Adrien, Chat Noir, whoever, might love her as Marinette as well as Ladybug. It just wouldn't happen. Despite what Tikki and Master Fu said, Marinette wasn't Ladybug.

The kwami was, however, listening with interest to the message as Marinette played it again. "He seems eager to talk to you."

"To say what? I can't deal with it. I don't want to hear his… angelic voice when I know our love is doomed!" Marinette cried, letting her head fall into her pillow. "It's better if I just ignore him. And really, what was he thinking! Cornering me in the locker room like that. Then coming to my _house._ He nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I know. But maybe he's being genuine?"

"I know he is. He thinks I've upset him. ' _I was just wondering if I've done something to offend you? Or hurt you? Whatever it was, I swear I didn't mean to. I'll do anything to make it up. Just name it!'_ What am I meant to tell him? _'Oh, I'm sorry, I realised you're in love with a superhero and so you'll never love me. So I'm not talking to you because every time I look at you I hurt all over._ ' That'll go down well."

Tikki smiled sadly at her. "You've got to tell him something. It's cruel letting him continue torturing himself over this. I think he's really upset."

"I know," Marinette mumbled. "I'm a terrible person. Why can't I just be normal? Why do I have to get myself into these stupid situations. Why is love so _hard?"_

Sniffing loudly, she sat up and looked at the shelf behind her bed. The charm he'd given her for her birthday sat innocently on the surface, gleaming gold in the lamplight. Suddenly, her throat felt very hot and constricted, and her stomach was writhing. Marinette reached forward, head swimming, and grabbed the charm. It was oddly cold in her hands: a relief to her warm skin.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," she muttered to Tikki before climbing up through her trapdoor to the balcony.

As autumn dragged on, the night sky had been blooming earlier with every passing today. Towards the West, the sun was falling into a swirl of orange and pink, with indigo swirling above like ink in water. If she squinted, she could see a few stars and the hazy white moon.

Marinette leant against the balcony and looked at the charm. It was simple really, just a few beads threaded onto a piece of string. And yet it was the most precious thing she owned. But at the same time she wanted to let it drop to the road below and get smashed by a car.

Would that be best? Would that bring her closure? Would it allow her to move on and find another guy? A guy who liked her, not Ladybug?

Her mind drifted to Luka. Maybe he would work as ample distraction?

No. What was she thinking. She couldn't play with people's feelings like that.

The way she'd played with Chat Noir's feelings, even if she hadn't meant to. Even though she'd actually returned them, she just hadn't realised.

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut to keep out the memories of her rejecting Adrien Agreste as Ladybug. Rejecting the guy of her dreams. The guy she'd planned on marrying and having kids and pets with, and growing old with…

Figures.

Something caught her eye. Fluttering on the breeze. She blinked and it was gone. Probably just a leaf.

A moment later, someone dropped down beside her.

"Hey, Marinette?"

Marinette nearly fell over the balcony, but someone grabbed her quickly by the waist and tugged her backwards.

"Whoops, careful."

"Adrrrrr…ream come true!"

Chat Noir blinked at her. "Huh?"

"A dream come true to have you drop by, Chat!" Marinette giggled unconvincingly. "What are you doing?"

"Checking on you. It's been a while. You cheered up at all?" he asked.

 _You know full well I haven't,_ she thought, but covered this with a hastily pasted-on smile. "A little, yeah."

"Anything I can do to cheer you up more? How about a game?"

"What, like spy-eye, I mean iced-pie. I mean...eye-spy?"

"I was more thinking something along the lines of _Ultimate Mecha Strike III_?"

Marinette furrowed her brow. Rookie mistake: Chat Noir didn't show she had that game. He caught the look and obviously thought he'd said something wrong as he quickly back-pedalled.

"Unless you want to play eye-spy. That's fine. I'll start… I spy, with my little cat-eye, something beginning with P."

"P?" What the heck was Adrien doing? This was ridiculous. Nevertheless, if they were playing eye-spy then they weren't talking about her problems, which was fine with her. "Okay, um… plants?"

"That would be far too easy. Try again."

"P...Patio? I suppose this isn't really a patio though. Um… petunias?"

"Nope," he said, popping the p. "I'll give you a clue, I'm looking at it."

His mouth curled into a smirk as he stared at her.

Marinette looked down herself. "Um… pink? Does that count? Or, pigtails?"

"No."

"P… oh for goodness' sake." She gave him a withering glare. "Very funny."

"That's strange. You're acting as if you've found the answer, but I haven't heard it..." His smirk widened and he slunk towards her like a real cat.

Marinette groaned and looked away. "Is it princess?" she asked bluntly.

Chat Noir clapped twice. "Well done! Your turn."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not."

When he didn't reply, Marinette chanced another glance at him. He was staring at something above them with what seemed to be worry. However, he must have sensed eyes on him as he quickly returned his attention to her. "Well, let's play something else then. You do have video games, right?"

Ah, he'd realised his mistake from earlier. Adrien knew she played video games, but Chat Noir didn't. Biting back a smirk of her own, Marinette nodded. "Sure. You were right, I do have _Ultimate Mecha Strike III._ Know how to play?"

"Pfftch, yeah. Let's go."

Ever the gentleman – gentlecat? - he opened the trapdoor for her and ushered her down first.

Thankfully, in her dull mood, Marinette's room was fairly tidy. Her bed covers were crumpled up, and her pyjamas were in a heap on the floor, but the usual assortment of clothes and accessories were stowed away. Her sewing machine, collecting dust, sat in the corner.

Marinette quickly padded to her computer and fired it up then began hunting around for her controllers, aware that Chat Noir was exploring behind her. For a moment her heart spasmed, but then she remembered that she didn't have anything incriminating for Adrien or Chat Noir to find.

Apart for that damned hair.

Why hadn't she put it somewhere? Or thrown it away?

"Should I throw this away?"

DID SHE SAY THAT OUT LOUD!?

Chat Noir held up the folded tissue delicately between his claws. "Just a bit of tissue."

"NO!"

Chat Noir hurriedly replaced it on her desk, eyes wide but with a glimmer of amusement.

"It's...not been used yet," Marinette stammered.

"You seem awfully protective over a simple tissue. Is it a favour from a charming prince? Do I have competition?" He punctuated this with a wink and a crooked grin which made Marinette flush and look down.

 _Actually I'm the one with competition. Against myself._ "No, I just don't like waste."

Marinette turned back to her computer, trying to wrench her mind away from the boy behind her and onto the screen. What on earth was she doing? She spent the week successfully avoiding the guy who had inadvertently broken her heart… Then he shows up in a stupid costume so she just lets him in? And agrees to play games with him?

A warm hand laid it self on her shoulder. "I think you're meant to press something?"

"Hm?" Marinette jumped, brushed his hand off, and hurriedly went back to setting up the game. "Sorry, I got distracted."

"So I noticed…" He pulled up a chair next to her and sat cross-legged. "Look, about what you said earlier… If you've only cheered up a little then you're still upset about something. What's up?"

Oh no.

Marinette bit down the squeak of horror in her throat. Why did she let him in? She knew from his message that he wanted to talk to her about it. But he was the one person she couldn't talk to because it was all about him. The only one she could truly confide in was Tikki. And Tikki was right; it was cruel to leave him in the dark when he was so concerned. He wasn't going to give up, not until she told him.

How was she going to get out of this one?

"It's uh, mmm… it's about a boy."

"A boy?" Chat Noir repeated, an odd expression flashing across his face. Then he smiled, but it was sad and small. "Tell me about him."

"He, um..." _How on earth do I describe Adrien to himself?_ "He's amazing. He's kind and generous and thoughtful. And he has this smile which just… lights up the room. And these eyes – I could fall into them forever."

"Sounds like a real _cat-_ ch," Chat Noir said, but the humour was missing from his eyes. "But why are you sad?"

"Because… he doesn't love me. I know he doesn't. He loves someone else."

Chat Noir stared at her for a while, green eyes raking across her face, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded resolutely and turned away. "I know the feeling. Same thing keeps happening to me."

"Keeps happening?"

"Yeah. You...you remember that day when Andre turned into a giant ice cream snowman? And I showed you the surprise I had for Ladybug?"

Marinette shifted around uncomfortably and fidgeted with her hands. She could remember that day. The day she'd rejected Adrien. If only she'd known back then…

"Well, she turned up eventually and said there was someone else. I was fine because at least she loved me as a friend. And that friendship was important – still is. But it hurt for a while. And then recently I met someone else."

That got Marinette's attention. Ignoring her squirming stomach, she looked up again. Chat Noir turned himself away from her. The lamplight reflected softly off his back, like street lights on a wet road. "Who?"

"I can't say. But it was sudden. Someone I'd known for ages but didn't see because I was so caught up on Ladybug. As soon as I thought that maybe she could help me to move on… I find out she already has someone she likes." His voice cracked. He took a shaky breath and tried to smile at her, moist eyes glittering.

Marinette felt a sob rising in her throat. "Chat?"

"I shouldn't be surprised. Black cats are bad luck." The smile dropped suddenly. "Oh no, Marinette. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Huh?" she sniffed. A wobbling tear trembled on her eyelid then spilt down her cheek. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I j-just… I'm sorry." Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and hastily wiped away the tear. "I'm fine."

That strange look passed across Chat Noir's face again. He raised his arms as if to hug her then lowered them. After a fearful glance at the window he forced a grin onto his mouth. "How about that game, huh?"

"O-oh! Right. Yes, let's… um, here." She pressed a controller into his hand. "You ready to lose?"

"Are you?"

* * *

After five rounds, most of which Marinette won (although she threw one game so Chat wouldn't feel too emasculated) someone tapped on Marinette's door.

"Sweetie, it's getting late. Turn your game off and go to bed!" Tom called.

Chat Noir leapt out of his seat. "Shoot, do you think they heard me?" he whispered.

"No, but you should probably get out of here," Marinette replied, pushing him towards the trapdoor leading to her balcony. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up," she added, flushing.

"Trying? Didn't I succeed?" Chat stopped halfway up the ladder. Hooking his feet behind a rung, he swung his body down so he was face to face with her, upside down. "Can't have that."

"You know yourself how difficult heartbreak is to get over," Marinette replied. "Now go, before my parents hear you."

"Okay, but there's something else first."

Marinette glanced anxiously back at her door then back at him. "What is it?" she hissed.

"Tonight… before I visited you, I saw an akuma. That's how I ended up here, I was following it. It was heading towards you. That's why I was trying to cheer you up; I didn't want you getting akumatised. So, I know it hurts but please try to stay positive. I don't want to be chasing you down."

Marinette swallowed thickly. "An akuma? Coming after me?"

"Yeah. But if you can stay… happy. Or at least, not let your negative emotions take over, you should be safe. Until next time."

Flashing that trademark grin, he gave her a two-fingered salute then swung back up the ladder.

* * *

Chat Noir shut the trapdoor behind him. Moments later her light clicked off, and only night remained. Thanks to his cat-eyes, he could see perfectly well. The deck chairs, the little table, the plants in their pots. Even a discarded bracelet.

A rather familiar bracelet.

Chat Noir scooped it up from the edge of the balcony and examined it. It was the same one he had given Marinette months ago for her birthday. Why was it out here? Didn't she like it? Had it fallen out of her pocket, or…

He looked over the edge of the railing at the dark street, softly illuminated by street lamps and every so often the glare of a car. Chat Noir remembered she had been in this spot when he'd arrived, looking down as he was now. She must have been holding it then, but why?

His heart thumped harder in his chest – maybe she was thinking fondly of him?

Or maybe he had upset her. And she had been about to drop it.


	5. Chapter 5

**New Chapter! Hurray!  
And Tess826, you're right. Gabriel definitely takes annual holidays to go akuma-catching ;) Haha**

* * *

"Tikki?" Marinette ventured the next morning. Her voice came out more like a croak. "I have to ask you something."

"What's wrong, Marinette? Is this about Chat Noir- Adrien's visit last night?"

"Sorta." Marinette rolled over and stared at the ceiling. "He said he was following an akuma when he visited. But I didn't think I could get akumatised. Can I?"

At this, Tikki seemed to shrink and let out a long sigh, like a balloon deflating. "In short, yes."

"What?"

"Yes, Miraculous holders can be akumatised. And because of the powers you already possess, it would be doubly dangerous. That's why the Chosen are so carefully, well, chosen."

Marinette groaned and sat up. "Then I really have to be careful, don't I? So I don't get akumatised. There'd be no Ladybug to stop me." She tried to laugh but it got caught in her throat. "I can't believe Adrien's already fallen for someone else."

"Has he?" Tikki enquired softly.

"Yeah. He said there was someone he wanted to pursue, but that she loves someone else." Marinette shook her head. "I don't understand it. Who in their right mind would want someone else if they had _Adrien_ after them? And you know what's worse? He doesn't even want Ladybug anymore. Now if I did reveal myself, he definitely wouldn't want me. Ohh… I'm such an idiot."

"Do you think you should have revealed yourself when you found out who he was?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "No," she mumbled, trying to squash the awful feeling writhing in her stomach. "But a part of me sort of wishes I had."

Marinette felt Tikki land on her shoulder and affectionately head-butt her face. "Come on, Marinette! It's a new week! You don't want to be late to school!"

"IS THAT THE TIME?!"

* * *

School was much easier now that Adrien had stopped seeking her out. He still sat in front of her and flashed her smiles in the corridors before class, but their friendship didn't extend further than that.

After all, why should it? He'd finally managed to weasel an answer out of her.

Finally they could get on with their lives: he could pursue his new love interest and win her from whatever unworthy guy she wanted; and Marinette could nurse her broken heart in peace.

At least, she could've. If it hadn't been for that infernal akuma attack.

It was during another lunch break, and Marinette was the first on the scene as Ladybug. This time, a dog-walker – Labra-doom – had snapped and was turning everyone who got too close into dogs. It was a fate Ladybug only narrowly avoided when Chat Noir yanked her out of the way.

"Close shave, Bugaboo," he called, pole-vaulting high above her. "As cute as you'd be with ears."

Ladybug growled under her breath and span her yo-yo as she glanced around for inspiration. They were in a park, surrounded by dog-people running around and yapping. At least the dogs weren't acting as Labra-doom's minions.

"GrrUFF!"

 _Spoke too soon._

A mismatched pack of dogs surrounded her, snapping at her heels and salivating. One – a golden retriever – suddenly lunged. Ladybug leapt, swinging her yo-yo towards a the fountain. It hooked and pulled her towards it, out of reach from the dogs.

The Labra-doom stood cackling on a bench, brandishing a leash-turned-whip.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug yelled. "The whip. That's where the akuma is."

Chat Noir, who was perched above his fully-extended baton, nodded. "Gotcha. But how do we get it without getting too close?"

"Leave that to me. Lucky Charm!"

She threw her yo-yo up, expelling a spiral of magic which formed into…

"Fly paper?"

"You don't need that to trap me, my lady." Chat Noir winked, flipping to land next to her with a splash. "Cause I already plan to stick with you."

"Shh, I'm thinking," Ladybug replied.

"Think faster. Her pack's growing."

Indeed, as they spoke more and more people were being transformed, herded towards the Labra-doom's whip by her army of hounds. Ladybug gritted her teeth and searched the area with narrow eyes. Chat Noir's right hand, the fly paper, the branch above the dog-walker. "Got it. I need you to distract her. Get her attention away from that tree."

Chat Noir grinned and span his baton. "Whatever you say." He launched himself up, performed an acrobatic flip and landed with a light thud on the path. Then, in one swift movement, he swept his baton in a wide arc and knocked the Labra-doom off her feet. "I take it you're not a cat-person," he said when she growled and thrust her leash in his direction. "Shame, I'm not really a dog-person."

Ladybug waited until Chat Noir had the entire pack of dogs _and_ the dog-walker chasing after him, staying just out of reach, before using her yo-yo to swing onto the branch above the bench. She tested its durability with a couple of experimental jumps then she peeled the backing off the flypaper and stuck it around the branch, hoping her idea would work. Now she just needed Labra-doom to see her…

"Hey, Chat! Bring her back over here!" she shouted, waving an arm above her head. The sooner she got this over with the sooner she could get away from him.

Chat Noir nodded and abruptly changed direction. He sprang and twirled back towards her, scurrying up the tree to join her on the branch. "Now wha-" he began but was cut off by the crack of a whip.

The Labra-doom was circling beneath like a vulture. "Climb down, little kitty, and give me your Miraculous!"

"Hmm, nah. I think I'll wait for the firefighters to come get me," he replied, glancing quickly at Ladybug.

She ignored him. "Come on, come on..."

Finally, the whip hit its mark. The end of the leash snapped into the flypaper and didn't come away. Ladybug wound her yo-yo around the branch and swung down, kicking Labra-doom in the chest. The akumatised woman was slammed backwards into the ground and let go of the leash.

"Now, Chat Noir! Use your Cataclysm!"

"As you wish!"

Seconds later, the leash crumbled do the ground and a little purple butterfly flew out of it. After catching it and purifying it, Ladybug tore the flypaper from the tree and threw it into the air.

Around them, dogs morphed back into people who seemed rather confused as to what they were doing on all fours on the ground, with a bewildered dog-walker in the middle.

"What happened?" she asked wearily. "How did I- Ladybug!?"

"Don't worry, everything's fine. Go home." Ladybug attempted a kind smile as she hurried those in the vicinity away.

Chat Noir jumped down beside her, easy smirk spread across his face. "Pound it?" he said, holding up a fist.

Ladybug sighed and lazily bumped it. "Pound it." She prepared her yo-yo to zip away, but Chat Noir gently gripped her shoulder.

"So, Ladybug. It's been a while since the last attack, huh?"

Ladybug glared at him. "I guess."

"So, I've got a half hour spare. Fancy hanging for a bit? Maybe catch up a little?"

"No, Chat."

"No?" He visibly deflated, but kept his hand on her shoulder. "Why not?"

"It wouldn't be..." Ladybug grappled for the right word. How to get him to leave her alone without hurting his feelings? "Appropriate."

"What, how?" he demanded. "C'mon, Bugaboo. What's the worst that could happen?"

 _I could end up crying again…_

"I just can't. You know we can't know anything about each other." She tried to shake his hand off, but it was firmly clamped on her shoulder.

"Please?"

She was taken aback by the soft tone of voice, by the desperation bleeding through. By how _Adrien_ he sounded. He must have noticed her hesitation because he continued.

"I'm not trying to romance you. I just… could really do with a friend right now."

" _As soon as I thought that maybe she could help me to move on… I find out she already has someone in her heart… I shouldn't be surprised. Black cats are bad luck."_

Ladybug shut her eyes and took a quivering breath. "I'm sorry, but I really can't right now."

"But-"

"I said I can't, Adrien," she snapped.

A few seconds of mortified silence. Ladybug turned slowly around to Chat Noir's wide-eyed stare. His skin turned white and his hand slipped from her shoulder.

"You… how?"

Ladybug's heart thudded against her lungs and she forgot how to breathe. Chat Noir stepped to her, fear dancing in his eyes, but before he could reach her the earrings beeped.

"I… havetogobye!"

"Wait… WAIT!"

Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and swung away.

* * *

Chat Noir could only watch Ladybug disappear into the Parisian skyline. Blood pounded through his ears, meanwhile his heart seemed to have stopped. His knees were quaking and he felt like throwing up, or fainting, or both.

She knew.

But _how?_

He was shaken from his stupor by a beep from his ring.

Fortunately, no one had been close enough to hear Ladybug's little outburst, but a few people in the park were giving him odd looks. Remembering he was meant to be on his lunch break, and that school would restart soonish, he fled.

Chat Noir wasn't quite sure how he got home. He was still in a daze when he jumped through his (thankfully still open) window. He landed on his bed with a soft _thlump_ and murmured, "Claws In."

Plagg spiralled out of his ring and whirled around in the air. "Well, that could have gone better."

"I don't understand. How did she find out? I've been so careful!"

"Have you?" Plagg came to rest next to his head, raising a brow. "No recent slips?"

"What do you mean?" Adrien flipped onto his stomach and fixed his kwami with a deep frown. "Do you know how she found out?"

"I'm not saying I know," Plagg replied, returning the frown. "Just that you haven't been that careful. Anyway, what's the big deal? She was gonna find out sooner or later. We may as well enjoy the rest of your lunch break by having a big slice of cheese..."

"Plagg, this is serious! What do we do now?"

"I already told you. Cheese."

A growl of frustration ripped from Adrien's throat. "Could you stop thinking about food for five minutes and help me! This is a disaster. She knows who I am – do you think that's why she's been acting so weird lately? Maybe she's disappointed. Maybe she hates me in real life." Another growl, this one quieter, more pathetic. He slammed a pillow over his face. "That would explain everything."

Plagg mumbled something and curled up.

"Hang on. That night… when I fell asleep at Marinette's. Maybe she _did_ see me. That would explain _her_ weird behaviour too."

Plagg lifted his head, curiosity piqued.

"And then she told Ladybug. Or let slip to her. She might have thought we already knew."

With a sigh, Plagg let his head fall back onto the bed. He muttered something which sounded like 'So close...'

"I have to talk to her. Straighten this out. I can't believe I was so _stupid."_ Adrien chucked his pillow across the room, sat up, and cradled his head in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to just dissolve out of existence. Why had he let himself fall asleep? Why didn't he just drop her in bed and _go_ before he could change back?

Why couldn't he leave her?

"It's not like I'm in love with her or anything," he murmured.

"You sure? Because you sure act like it."

"No I don't."

"Don't you remember the way you danced with her at Chloe's party?" Plagg asked, prodding him with one of his feelers.

"Well… that didn't mean anything..."

"And you were really up for smooching her for that class film."

"Exactly – that was for a _film!"_

"Pfftch." Sniggering, Plagg flew up and settled on his head. "You weren't that eager to smooch Chloe."

"Well, I've known Chloe since I was a kid," Adrien said, aware that he was scrabbling for excuses. "She's like a sister."

"But Marinette's only a friend."

"But… Nyugh!" Adrien rubbed his temple, wishing he could turn his brain off for a while and not have to think. "Okay, maybe I have a _tiny_ crush on her. I _know_ I have a tiny crush on her. But you heard her. She likes someone. Sure, that guy – whoever he is – is an idiot for not seeing her but…"

Plagg sighed loudly. "You're killing me, Adrien."

"You're killing me! You win, Plagg. I have a crush on Marinette. But fat lot of good that's doing me. She doesn't like me. And even if she did, I'm still in love with Ladybug. What was I thinking? Betraying her like that."

"You can't betray her if you're not dating her," Plagg pointed out.

"I know, but-"

"And wasn't it only _yesterday_ you admitted Marinette could help you move on from Ladybug?"

"I know, but-"

"So what's your problem?"

"I don't know!" Adrien yelled. His words ricocheted off the walls and fizzled into a ringing silence. He buried his face in his hands. "I don't know how I feel about anything anymore," he whispered. "I'm so confused."

Plagg moved onto his shoulder and pressed his head against Adrien's neck. "You'll figure it out."

Adrien didn't respond for a few minutes. He waited until his eyes were throbbing and his heart had dropped to a steady beat before slowly lifting his head and looking at his kwami. "I should talk to Marinette," he said. "About the Chat Noir thing. If I can straighten that up then maybe she'll talk to me again."

But Marinette didn't come back to school after lunch. Adrien burst into the classroom, late, to find her seat empty. When he pressed Alya for an explanation later, she told him Marinette had texted her about feeling sick.

Well, if he couldn't talk to her as Adrien, he'd talk to him as Chat Noir. At least she actually responded to his superhero persona – which was odd considering she knew they were the same person. Unless she didn't. But what other explanation could there be?

* * *

It was late in the evening when he arrived, but hopefully not too late. The dark sky was thick with clouds, obscuring the stars, threatening to burst. Chat Noir landed lightly on Marinette's balcony, pleased to see a soft glow from the glass hatch. She was still awake.

Chat Noir knocked on the door and waited for a reply, but it never came. He knocked again. "Marinette? It's me, Chat Noir. Can you let me in?"

Nothing.

He gave the hatch and experimental tug but it was locked.

"Marinette? Marinette, can you hear me? Please, I need to talk to you."

Chat Noir thought he saw some movement behind the glass, but when he peered through he could only see a neatly-made bed. He knocked louder.

"Marinette!"

He waited for a few more seconds, hoping, praying that she'd answer. But still nothing.

Irritation, bordering on anger, rose through the disheartened worry. With a growl, Chat Noir slammed his fists on the hatch and a tremulous _bang_ echoed through the night.

Below, someone slid a window open and the voices of Marinette's parents drifted up.

The lucky charm he'd given Marinette was tied around his baton. He slid it off and left it on top of the hatch then leapt into the cloudy night.

Beneath him, a black cat slunk into an alley to find shelter from the incoming storm.


	6. Chapter 6

' **Humour' she puts as the second genre, with the intention of having elements of comedy. How quickly comedy turns to teenage angst… oh well.**

 **This chapter is when excrement hits the cooling system. Just warning you.**

* * *

Marinette let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. However, she didn't dare move for a few minutes until she was sure Chat Noir was gone.

 _Thank goodness_ she'd had the foresight to lock the hatch earlier that evening.

She did feel a little guilty. No wonder the poor guy wanted to talk – he was probably freaking out about Ladybug knowing his name. But why would he come to her about it? If, indeed, that was what he'd wanted to talk about. It must have been important for him to sound so desperate, so angry.

She shuddered, remembering the last thump. One which rivalled thunder and made the ceiling shake. At least he was gone now. Marinette climbed onto her bed and peered through the hatch, but she couldn't see anything past her pale face reflected in the glass, and a small, dark shape. Brow crinkling, she unlocked the hatch and carefully slid it open. She glanced around in case Chat Noir was hiding then reached a hand out to grab the small object. As soon as it was in her hand, she ducked back inside and locked it.

Tikki was staring at her, half a cookie clamped in her hands. Steely disappointment glinted in her eyes. "Marinette… you should have let him in."

"Why?" Marinette asked, padding down the stairs to her desk. "What would I say? Why can't he just leave me alone? Doesn't he know that every time I see him-" she paused, turning the object over in her hands- "my heart _hurts?_ "

"No," Tikki replied. "Maybe you should tell him."

Marinette turned white then went very red. "Out of the question!"

"But Marinette-"

Tikki was cut off by a buzzing phone. Marinette bounded over to the device and snatched it up. She sighed in relief when it was only a text from Alya.

 **Alya: how u feeling? u cominh in tmr? rmbr we need clothes for pe ughhhh xx**

 **Marionette: I'm feeling better thank you :) Just felt sick after lunch. I'll be in tomorrow! But maybe I'll skip P.E ;)**

Tikki hovered above her shoulder. "Maybe you should text someone else."

"And say what?"

"Apologise for not letting him in?"

Marinette paled again. "No! Then he'll know that I know who he is and that'll make everything a hundred times worse!"

More buzzes.

 **Alya: cool im glad ur feeling better! c u tmr xx**

And:

 **Adrien: Why are you avoiding me?**

Marinette turned her phone to silent and thrust it into a drawer. "I'm going to bed," she announced.

After changing clothes and brushing her teeth, Marinette settled herself under her duvet and shut her eyes, waiting for sleep to claim her. But it didn't.

All she could see was Adrien's face, sadly asking her why she didn't want to be friends with him anymore and what he'd done wrong and how he could make it up.

And however much she tried, she couldn't think up an answer.

* * *

The next morning was a blur.

Marinette dressed, washed, and ate breakfast as she usually did, but she was only going through the motions. Before she left for school, Tom pulled her to a corner of the kitchen whilst Sabine was manning the bakery counter.

"I know you're growing up and becoming more independent," he said carefully, wringing his fingers. "But if there's anything happening that you want to tell me and your mother about… you know we're here for you, right?"

"I know, papa," Marinette replied, toes curling in her shoes. "Nothing's wrong though."

"Are you sure?" he pressed, anxious. "You've not been yourself for, well, a while now. Your mother and I trusted you to come to us if you needed to but we're growing very concerned. Please, Marinette. We won't be angry – no matter what is is. Just let us in."

Tom held her hand in his larger ones, his moustache bristling as he chewed his bottom lip. Marinette sighed and her shoulders drooped. "I… it's nothing, papa. Just boy trouble, you know?"

"Oh. _Oh."_ Tom dislodged one of his hands to rub the back of his neck. "In that case… no boy is good enough for you so don't get too worked up." He smiled, and Marinette tried to return it.

"I know. Thanks, papa. I need to go to get to school on time."

He nodded and let her go. Marinette sped through the bakery, waving to Sabine as she went, and hurtled down the rain-splattered street. Despite it being a short conversation, her father's words had cheered her up a little.

But the cheer was short lived. After greeting Alya in the classroom and sitting through Rose's enthusiastic re-enactment of the ballet she'd gone to see the previous evening, she caught sight of Adrien and realised she'd never responded to his text. In fact, she'd completely forgotten about it, and hadn't even remembered to pick up her phone that morning.

Perhaps she'd gotten away with it, but then Adrien turned and gave her such a heart-wrenchingly _sad_ look that she thought she'd burst into tears on the spot.

She spent the next few lessons with her head buried in her textbooks. Adrien couldn't get to her if she didn't look at him. In the corridors she walked with her head down, or focused too much on Alya's face lest she accidentally catch Adrien's eye. Her tactics worked well – she didn't see a flash of green all through the morning, even if she did end up tripping over someone outside her classroom – until P.E.

"All right, class," said Madame Bustier, gesturing for her students to stand up. "Head down to the sports hall. Monsieur D'Argencourt isn't in today so you have a substitute teacher: Monsieur Poisson. Don't be late!"

* * *

Monsieur Poisson was a mountain of a man. He had orange hair, scraped back into a frizzy ponytail, and long ears. Paired with his lanky arms and stocky torso, he reminded Marinette of an orangutan. After listing off his expectations for the class, he sent them away to change into more suitable clothes for physical education. Then he lined them up against the wall to inspect them, barking out issues with their outfits as he made his way down.

"Tie your hair back…Your shoes are inappropriate… Is that shirt too small?… Why don't your socks match?… No earrings."

Marinette blanched as Poisson glared at her. "My earrings?"

"No jewellery. Take them out."

"But-"

"OUT."

Marinette squeaked and lifted a hand to her ears. With fumbling fingers, she unpinned the circular earrings and swallowed thickly. Hopefully she wouldn't need them for the next hour. Poisson didn't move on until she had slipped the earrings into her purse and left it in the corner of the sports hall. Gingerly touching her naked ears, Marinette had never felt so exposed.

The first ten minutes of P.E. were spent running laps around the hall. Then they were split into teams to practise dribbling and passing basketballs to each other. A tedious task made worse by the fact Marinette was grouped against her will with Chloe and Adrien.

"So you've finally taken those ugly earrings out, Dupain-Cheng?" sneered Chloe, who was more interested in picking something out of her nail than dribbling the ball.

Adrien wasn't any better. He stood despondently next to Chloe, avoiding Marinette's gaze with a troubled look in his gorgeous eyes.

No, not gorgeous. His very normal eyes.

Chloe huffed when she didn't get a reaction. She snatched the ball from Adrien's hands and flung it as hard as she could over Marinette's head. It sailed through the air, bounced twice, then rolled into the corner.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get it," Chloe snapped.

Normally, Marinette would have snapped something back. But today she was willing to jump on any excuse to get away from her two classmates for even a few seconds, and so sloped off.

Upon retrieving the ball, Marinette paused and looked at the class, and wished she'd somehow found a way to persuade Poisson to let her join Alya, Juleka and Alix. It would be better than suffering another forty minutes with Chloe's snark and Adrien's sullen mood. She sighed and took one step towards her group...

Then there was a deafening crash as a gigantic arm slammed through the roof.

The class was in uproar; students screamed and made a beeline for the doors. Everyone, that is, but Marinette. The arm had cut off her escape route, effectively trapping her.

The whole room shook, knocking Marinette to the floor. She peered up, eyes following the arm to a shoulder, to a neck, to a square jaw, to a face. It looked a little like someone in another class, the student she'd tripped over earlier, except transfigured into a large monkey-like being. His face was contorted in a furious snarl, hot breath bursting from his nose like jets of steam.

"Hawkmoth must be losing his edge," she muttered, rolling away as it tried to grab her. "This is the second giant monkey-man."

King Kong made another swipe which Marinette dodged by jumping backwards into the corner. A large section of ceiling crumbled down, concealing her from view. She had to get away, had to transform. The class had escaped, no one could see her…

"Spots On," she whispered desperately, pressing herself into the wall… But nothing happened. Then she remembered.

Her tent of ceiling plaster was swept aside. "You!" King Kong thundered, scooping her up. The world span and her head pounded as she was swung straight up through the hole in the ceiling, a high-pitched scream tearing from her throat.

* * *

"Marinette!" Alya gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "It got her!"

Adrien's heart whirred against his ribs as he watched the girl disappear through the roof in the grasp of a giant monkey-man. He was ashamed of the small part of him that didn't want to act, that instead wanted to wait for Ladybug to sort it out.

This was drowned by the overwhelming urge to beat the akumtised victim up single-handed for laying a finger on her.

"You go," he yelled to Alya, pointing to the door. "Get out of here!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Alya replied, but he had already taken off. The arm holding Marinette was rapidly disappearing. Adrien sprinted across the sports hall and leapt through the gaping hole in the wall into the grey daylight.

King Kong was lumbering away across the school grounds. With the other students inside, Adrien deemed it safe to transform.

"Plagg, Claws Out!" he commanded, gritting his teeth.

After transforming, he wasted no time in speeding after Marinette and the villain. Using his baton, he hurled himself through the air and landed on King Kong's back, gripping his fur to stop from falling off. It was thick and slightly greasy, making it difficult to keep a hold of it, but he managed to scramble up onto King Kong's shoulder.

Marinette squirmed in the villain's grip, gasping when she spotted Chat Noir.

Unfortunately, King Kong spotted him too. With a tremendous roar, he tried to swat Chat Noir off with his free arm, but the superhero was too quick. With the agility of a real cat, Chat Noir leapt forward and ran down the arm. He wedged his baton in between Marinette and the hand and tried to pry it open, but to little avail. Desperation set in – he had to get her out. Without thinking, he raised a claw and began to summon his cataclysm power, but Marinette yelled for him to stop.

"Don't! There's still a person underneath!" she said. "You might hurt him!"

"He's hurting you," Chat Noir growled. "What am I meant to do? Wait for Ladybug?"

Marinette bit her lip. "I don't kno- LOOK OUT!"

The warning came a second too late. A massive fist slammed into Chat Noir and knocked him to the ground.

He wasn't down for long. A second later he sprang up and latched onto King Kong's leg, right behind his knee. King Kong faltered, snorting loudly, then reached a meaty hand down to scratch his leg.

Chat Noir smirked as an idea formed in his mind. Scurrying further up, he extended his baton and used it to tickle King Kong's other leg. The villain snorted again, trying to scratch the new itch but he couldn't reach. Chat Noir continued tickling. _Come on…_

The other hand emerged, accompanied by a yell of "Chat!"

Chat Noir gave the leg a powerful kick as he launched himself forward to catch the falling girl. He curled his arms around her, clutching her to his chest, and angled himself so his feet were pointing to the ground. He braced his legs for the impact, knees bent, and skidded a few metres on the grass.

Marinette disentangled herself from his body and jumped out of his grip. "Thanks," she said.

He gave her a firm nod. "No problem. Now come with me; I'll get you somewhere safe."

"But-"

No time for arguing. He scooped her up again, cradling her head in the crook of his neck, and leapt away. A quick glance behind him told him that King Kong was still scratching his legs.

Where to hide Marinette? Although he knew he should let her find shelter in another school building with the other students, he didn't want to. He wanted to take her somewhere else, somewhere safer. Somewhere with more protection.

Aha.

"Chat! Chat! Put me down!" Marinette yelped, wriggling.

"You're not scared of heights, are you?"

"No," she snapped, looking offended. "I'm more concerned about the giant monkey smashing up the school. The one you should be trying to take down?"

"Ladybug will be here soon. She can handle this."

"What if she's not?" Marinette stared at him, her eyes like blue stones. "Put me down, Chat. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. I just… I don't want to see you get hurt," he replied tenderly.

Marinette's eyes softened. "I'll be fine. Please, Chat. Other people might get hurt."

"You're more important."

She flushed, frowning. "No I'm not. I'm serious, Chat; put me down. Here's far enough away."

Chat Noir landed neatly on top of the bell tower of Notre Dame and set her down, but kept a hold of her shoulders. "Stay here. Please. I'll come and get you when it's safe."

"Did you really have to take me all the way to _Notre Dame_?"

"Yes."

Marinette blinked, surprised, then turned away. She cast a wary glance around the bell tower roof, sighed, and nodded. "Okay. Go get 'em, tiger."

A grin slid across his lips. "As you wish, princess."

And with that he turned to run back to the fight.

When he reached the school again, King Kong was wreaking havoc. Several roofs had been swept away, exposing empty classrooms. Piles of debris and rubble marred the grounds, grass was flattened in several places where the huge beast had trampled through. Chat Noir could only hope that everyone had made it down to the safe rooms beneath and that no one had been hurt, or worse.

He glanced around for a flash of red, but his search was fruitless. It was up to him for now.

* * *

Marinette was panicking. How in the world was she meant to get down from the roof without her yo-yo? Chat Noir had done this on purpose; he knew it would be crazy for a non-superhero to try to climb down without equipment. He had trapped her there. She had no doubt it was mostly to keep her safe, but part of her wondered if it was also because he could make her talk to him afterwards about whatever he had tried to visit her about yesterday.

But really it was the stupidest thing he could have done. Without her help as Ladybug there was no way he could stop King Kong and put everything right. If only there was a way down!

For several minutes she tried dangling her legs over the edge, holding onto the low stone walls to keep her from plunging to her death, but she couldn't reach anything with her feet. There was a door in the middle of the roof, but it was locked.

"That stupid, _stupid_ cat!" she hissed, pacing. "I can't help him up here! Why didn't I keep my earrings in my pocket or… keep my bag with me? Ughh..."

Something cold splashed on her arm. Then again. And again. Marinette looked up at the overcast sky and saw the silver flashes of raindrops. Within seconds the light drizzle became a heavy downpour. Soon, she was soaked.

"If I get another cold," she muttered darkly, peering over the edge again. It was a very long drop. But there, to the right, were gargoyles with open mouths. And beneath them, stone knobs leading half way down the tower. If she could climb down, then maybe jump into one of those trees?

Without her Ladybug suit Marinette knew if she slipped at all she would die. But if she didn't go, King Kong wouldn't be stopped, and then Chat Noir, Adrien, might…

Swallowing the bundle of fear in her throat, Marinette stepped over stone railing, sidled along to the gargoyle spout and slowly reached down to grasp it. It creaked as she let her weight lean on it, praying it wouldn't crumble.

She straddled the gargoyle, inching forward as rain beat down on the back of her neck, then looked for the best place to go next. Complicated columns of masonry decorated the corners of the bell tower; the carved scrolls and feathers would work as footholds. Marinette swung a leg down and wedged her foot in the design. Then the other. She guided her hands to the wet stone knobs beneath the gargoyle and used them to shift her centre of gravity down.

Okay. Phase one, complete. Now she had to navigate her way down the walls. Marinette shut her eyes and took a deep breath, then another, then another. As Ladybug, even without her yo-yo this would have been simple. But as plain, ordinary Marinette this was more than a little terrifying. Without her suit, gone were her acrobatic skills and quick reflexes. Gone was the strength to support her body weight with one arm. Gone was the resilience, the resistance. If she hurt something, she wouldn't be able to recover quickly.

"Okay, I can do this," she whispered, but her words were drowned by the rain and her thundering heart. "I can do this. I'm Ladybug, and if Ladybug can do this then so can I."

She began to climb.

* * *

 **Because there aren't enough episodes set in Notre Dame.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chat Noir was growing desperate. His chest heaved as he leapt from roof to roof, circling King Kong. His plan initially had been to confuse the creature, maybe daze it, or make it angry enough to encourage a sloppy mistake. All to give time for Ladybug to show up.

But she never did.

He had been running rings around this giant monkey-man for what felt like hours, and despite the boosted stamina from his suit he was exhausted. His rain-soaked hair clung to his face like damp fur. He had hoped he could tire King Kong out instead, but the beast was so big that for every ten paces Chat Noir, he only took one. Chat Noir would be unconscious before King Kong broke a sweat.

"Come on, Ladybug. Where are you?" he panted, narrowly avoiding being grabbed from thin air. "I can't do this for much longer."

He landed behind a pile of rubble and glanced behind him at Notre Dame. At least Marinette was safe.

"Got'cha!"

"WAAAH!"

Yelping, Chat Noir was hoisted up, barely able to breathe for the large fingers curled around his body, trapping his arms.

"Where'd you put her, mangy cat?" King Kong roared.

Chat Noir kept his mouth firmly shut, and stared, unblinking, into his large face. He shook his head.

"WHERE?" King Kong thundered, bringing his fist up to his eye and fixing the superhero with a dangerous glower.

But still Chat Noir refused to answer, and met the glare defiantly. Then King Kong's gaze shifted slightly to the left.

"Aha. C'mon, cat."

* * *

Marinette had made it half-way down the bell tower. Her raw fingers felt like ice, clinging desperately to the shallow stone knobs. Her P.E. shirt was soaked and stuck to her body like a glue, freezing her torso. The tree she had hoped to jump to was further away than she'd realised. She could only climb down another couple of feet, but the tree was much lower and some distance away from the tower. It shivered in wet gale, glistening with rain.

Marinette braced her arms and lowered her leg to the next hold. Her foot slipped and her heart plummeted, but she managed to catch herself. What she'd give for a lucky charm right now…

 _Thump… Thump… Thump…_

Marinette tore her gaze away from the tree.

Footsteps.

Loud footsteps.

Loud footsteps that could only come from a giant transfigured monkey-man.

Sure enough, she looked up to find King Kong crashing towards her, swinging something small and black around. His mouth was pulled into a triumphant grin as he stopped next to the cathedral. The thing in his hand slumped over, limp. It was Chat Noir, looking thoroughly battered. He lifted his head, caught sight of Marinette, and gaped in horror.

"Marinette!" he called, voice cracking. "What are you doing!?"

King Kong thrust his other fist towards her. Marinette leapt, hands outstretched towards the tree, eyes focused on a sturdy branch. But she wasn't going to make it – it was too far, and the ground was rising up to greet her. Someone was screaming. Was it her? Or was it Chat?

The ground stopped. Something squeezed her around the middle and brought her back up to King Kong's snarling face.

Marinette wriggled in his grasp. "What do you want?" she spat.

"No more being ignored," King Kong yelled. "No more being squashed like a bug, or tripped over like a rock."

"Tripped?" Marinette murmured. The sound of the rain thundered in her ears. "Is… is that what this is about? Me tripping over you earlier?"

King Kong growled, but his eyes dropped. "You embarrassed me in front of her!"

"I…" Marinette followed King Kong's eyes down to the ragged remains of his jeans, then at Chat Noir, and then at the demolished school in the distance. "I'll make it up to you! Let's go back to the school, then we can sort this out, okay?"

"Too late! I have a new goal." He squeezed her tighter, eliciting a gasp. "The bug and cat Miraculous!"

"Ladybug is at the school!" Marinette cried. "I saw her before Chat brought me here."

King Kong frowned, mulling this information over in his head. Then he turned and began stomping back to the school. Marinette looked over at Chat Noir.

He glared back with stony eyes. "What were you doing, Marinette? I told you to stay on the roof!"

"I was coming to help you."

"You could have been hurt!"

"So could you."

"You could have _died._ Why didn't you just _listen?"_ He raised his voice with every word until he was all but screaming at her. The stony eyes split with worry and hurt.

"I know what I'm doing," Marinette said and turned her face away.

It didn't take long to reach their destination. Marinette spotted what was left of the sports hall and nodded towards it. "Down there, King Kong. Put me down there."

"Why should I put you down," he grunted. "You'll run away."

"How can you catch Ladybug with both hands full?" Marinette pointed out. "Put me down."

"No!"

"AH!" Chat Noir yelled, for King Kong had begun squeezing him so tightly his face was turning purplish-red beneath his mask.

"Stop! STOP!" Marinette shrieked. "You're hurting him – stop it!"

Another growl split the air. King Kong swung Marinette up to his face then, with a shout, he flung her through the hole in the sports hall's roof.

* * *

"Marinette!" Chat Noir hollered as she sailed down, his throat burning. "MARINETTE!"

But she had fallen out of sight.

Blood seared through his veins, scorching his skin, igniting his muscles. His body was practically buzzing with rage. Without thinking, Chat Noir bore his head down and sunk his teeth into King Kong's finger. Blood spurted in his mouth as his sharp canines punctured skin.

King Kong hissed in pain, loosening his fingers just enough for Chat to wrench the fist open, uncaring if he broke any bones, and kick his way out. Now able to reach his baton, he flew into a frenzy, hitting every inch of the monster he could get to. A particularly sharp smack to the knee made King Kong buckle, followed by a jab to the eye.

King Kong howled and flailed blindly, but Chat Noir used the opportunity to leap on top of his head and beat his baton into the soft flesh of the beast's neck. He suddenly didn't care about finding the akuma and freeing the victim inside.

There was more than one way to bring down a villain.

* * *

Marinette forced her eyes open. The world swam in and out of focus, and all she could hear was the throbbing of blood in her head and a faint ringing. She moved a hand; it twitched beneath a pile of rubble. She moved a foot; debris creaked between her toes. She tried to stand, but her body was heavy and sluggish. The back of her head stung, and when she eased her hand against it her fingers came away sticky.

A loud crash broke through her daze. Marinette blinked hard. The akuma was still affecting King Kong. But where was it? She shut her eyes, trying to visualise the monster. Brown, shaggy fur. Flat face. Yellow teeth and eyes. Ripped remnants of jeans.

He had looked at them before. Maybe that was where…

Marinette blinked again and shook her head. Her brain swished around unpleasantly in her skull. The sports hall was empty, but as she looked around Marinette spotted a pile of bags in the far corner. Her earrings. _Tikki._

Drawing strength she didn't know she had, Marinette dislodged herself from the rubble and crawled across the floor, not trusting herself not to faint if she stood. After many agonising minutes she collapsed next to the bags and sifted through them. Finally, she pulled out her white and pink purse and plunged a cold, quivering hand inside. Her earrings, patterned red and black, were still there and unharmed. She quickly pinned them in her ears and murmured, "Spots On."

* * *

Chat Noir grunted as he landed heavily on the ground, but sprang up in time to dodge the huge foot. It slammed next to him, the reverberations knocking him over. He had lost his baton trying to jam it in King Kong's ears only for the monkey to snatch it and throw it away.

"The jeans, Chat Noir! It's in the jeans! Use your cataclysm!"

Ladybug! She was running out of the sports hall, damp, pale and slightly wobbly. Chat Noir drew his hand back, black destructive power sparking around his claws, and bounced up. He thrust forward, caught rough denim in his fist and watched as it crumbled away. King Kong gave a strangled shout and hunched down into a ball.

Something small and black tumbled to the floor. Chat Noir dove forward to snatch it up. "A bracelet?"

"Break it," Ladybug muttered, collapsing next to him. "Now."

Chat Noir snapped it, releasing the akuma. Ladybug groaned and drew out her yo-yo to catch and cleanse it. When that was done she summoned her lucky charm. A lacy, fingerless glove fell out of the air. Ladybug gave it a cursory glance then threw it straight up again with a laboured cry of, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The usual burst of red and black whizzed through the air, rebuilding the school and fixing the mess King Kong had created. The villain was reduced to a boy their age with mousy hair and brown eyes.

"What happened?" he asked. Chat Noir didn't stick around for the answer. He sprinted into the sports hall, heart thumping. It was empty; spotless under a complete roof, but empty.

"Marinette? Marinette!" he called. "Where are you?"

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug panted, stopping behind him. "Your ring. You have to go."

"What? No, I have to find Marinette," he replied. "She fell somewhere in here… what if she's hurt? This is all my fault…"

"No, Chat Noir." Ladybug attempted a comforting smile. "I should have gotten here sooner. I'm sorry."

"Where were you? Marinette said… said you were here. But you couldn't have been, right?"

"I… Marinette only said that to get King Kong back here. I think, probably. Please, you have to go. You're going to de-transform."

"Does it matter?" Chat Noir snapped. "You already know who I am. I'm not leaving until I find Marinette and I know she's alive."

"You won't find her."

"What." Chat Noir froze, his chest still. He could hear the rain falling like bullets, hammering the roof above. "What do you mean? Ladybug?"

Ladybug bit her lip and shut her eyes. "Chat..."

He tried to force down the sob rising in his throat; a quiet mew escaped him. "But," he whispered, "your Miraculous Ladybug. Shouldn't that have… didn't it…"

A pained expression crossed Ladybug's features. "Chat. I didn't want to do this. But I can't keep leaving you in the dark. You won't find Marinette because she's right here. Spots Off."

Chat Noir opened his mouth several times, but he couldn't force any words out. Marinette still had her eyes firmly shut, her brow furrowed as if waiting for him to strike her. A thousand thoughts flashed through Chat Noir's head before his mind switched off completely and he couldn't remember his own name.

Then, Marinette pitched forward, unconscious.

"Marinette!" he yelped, catching her. "Are you okay? Marinette!"

She didn't respond, but at least she was breathing. Chat Noir bundled her up in his arms, not liking how pale her skin was. A little red creature floated next to him, its eyes wide.

"She's okay, just unconscious. Take her home, Chat Noir," it squeaked, landing on Marinette's stomach. "She needs rest."

Not wanting to waste another second, he ran from the sports hall. As he went, he passed several students and teachers whose words of congratulation and gratitude died on the lips at the sight of the limp girl in his arms. The worst moment was passing Alya who promptly began chasing him.

"Is she okay? Chat Noir, is Marinette all right! Chat!"

But she couldn't keep up, and soon fell too far behind for her concerned cries to be heard.

Chat Noir didn't stop until he reached the Dupain-Cheng bakery, charging through the front door. Tom Dupain hurtled out from behind the counter. "What happened to her?!"

"Sh-she fainted. I… she's okay. I think. I hope. I need to… lay her down. Can I?" The words poured out in a stuttering mess, but the message came across. Tom began ushering him through the door to their flat.

Once inside her bedroom, Chat Noir sprang up the staircase to her bed and carefully laid her down. Sabine all but pushed past him and fell to her daughter's side, tenderly stroking her face.

"She's fine," Chat Noir said again, more for his own comfort. "She just needs to rest."

Tom clapped a hand on his shoulder and managed a small smile. "Thank you, Chat Noir."

Chat Noir tried to return the smile. "I have to go before I de-transform," he said. With one last glance at Marinette's sleeping form, he jumped up and disappeared through the ceiling hatch.

* * *

The fight had been such a long one that by the time order had been restored there was only half an hour left of the school day, during which students were told to sit in their classrooms whilst registers were taken to ensure no one was missing.

By the time Adrien returned, Mme Bustier was in a state of panic. "There you are!" she cried, wrenching the door open. "We were worried you'd gone missing! I'll let the search party know…"

"Sorry, Madame." Adrien took his seat. "I saw Chat Noir taking Marinette home – I think she was injured. He needed directions."

"Of course. Alya has already told me about Marinette, but thank you." Looking remarkably less flustered, Mme Bustier allowed the class to chat quietly until the end of the school day.

"Dude," said Nino. "We were getting crazy worried."

"What did you think you were _doing._ " Alya smacked Adrien on the head. "Charging after King Kong like that? Chat Noir was there in no time!"

 _Oh snap._ "I, uh… when I saw it take Marinette I just…" he trailed off pathetically. Alya's expression softened.

"Did Chat say what was wrong with her?" she asked quietly. "I saw him carrying her but he didn't say… is she all right?"

"She's fine. She was just unconscious. I think she fainted or something. Maybe hit her head." Adrien swallowed and hoped his voice hadn't trembled too much. "I'm going to drop by her house after school. Check up on her."

"I'll go too," Alya chimed. "I need to make sure my best friend's _really_ okay. Besides, I missed most of the fight – maybe she can give me an account for the Ladyblog."

"Just don't spring it on her too quickly," Nino suggested. "Might be a bit much."

"Yes, I know."

Twenty minutes later, Mme Bustier allowed them to leave. As Adrien descended the front steps with Alya and Nino, their conversation was interrupted by a loud cough. His bodyguard was stood outside a car, one hand clasping a smart black umbrella. Adrien's shoulders slumped.

"Oh, right," he said despondently.

"He _has_ to let you visit Marinette!" Alya grasped him by his upper arms. "Go ask him!"

But 'Gorilla' wasn't to be swayed by sentiments. He turned a deaf ear to the pleadings of all three teenagers, and in the end had to manhandle Adrien into the back seat.

"I'll try and come later!" Adrien called through the window as he was whisked away. Alya shouted something back, but it was lost to the whipping air and rain.

Adrien moaned and let his head flop against headrest. What a day.

Marinette, the sweet, kind, brave girl in his class was Ladybug.

Ladybug, the smart, sassy, stubborn girl he fought crime with was Marinette.

And now she was lying unconscious in a bed.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's shirt. "Well, quite a ride, huh?"

"Tell me about it."

"Shouldn't you be happier? No more love-life crisis. The girl you like is also the girl you love." Plagg grinned, sharp teeth glinting.

"She's also _unconscious,"_ Adrien pointed out then sighed. "I thought I'd lost her."

"It takes more than that to kill a Chosen Miraculous Bearer. Besides, Miraculous Ladybug fixed up her injuries."

"Well I didn't _know_ she was Ladybug at the time! I thought she was… and when she wasn't there…" He blinked hard and tilted his head up to stop the tears forming in his eyes from falling. "Besides," he murmured. "Ladybug – Marinette – didn't love me as Chat Noir. Why would she love me as Adrien? She said she loves someone else."

"You are so hopeless," Plagg grumbled, returning to his warm spot in Adrien's shirt.

* * *

 **Phew. Nearly there, guys. Just one chapter left (hurray!)**


	8. Chapter 8

Adrien wasn't able to escape his house for hours. When he arrived home after school, he was surprised to find his father waiting for him, and even more surprised when Gabriel pulled him into a brief hug.

"I heard what happened at the school. I don't know what I would have done if you'd been hurt." he said gruffly.

Adrien only had a second to return the hug before Gabriel stepped back.

"I've arranged a tutor to go over what lessons you missed today because of the attack. I don't want you falling behind."

Adrien deflated. "But father, a friend of mine got hurt. I was going to go visit her."

"That can wait. Go to your lesson. After that you can go over your piano set until dinner."

Adrien never made it to the piano.

As soon as his tutor left after filling his head with mathematics and chemistry formulas, Adrien performed his usual trick of putting on a long piece of music then transformed into Chat Noir.

Out the window, springing to the next roof along, gliding through the darkening evening. He paused on the roof opposite the Dupain-Cheng bakery. To go in as Chat Noir, his free, uninhibited self? Or mild, quiet Adrien?

The superhero, or the friend?

He jumped down.

"Plagg, Claws In."

The bell tinkled when he entered, but Sabine was slow in reacting.

"Oh, Adrien. Have you come to visit Marinette?"

"Yes, if that's okay. I would have come earlier but-"

"Don't worry, I know you're a busy young man." She pointed him to the door. "I'm sure you know the way. You just missed Alya and her other friend."

"Has Marinette woken up yet?"

"No. But we had a doctor look at her; she's fine. No injuries."

Adrien grinned in relief. "Oh good. I'll go up now."

His footsteps seemed too loud as he ran up the stairs, disliking the echoing clicks bouncing around him. He paused upon reaching Marinette's door. Was there any point knocking for someone unconscious?

"What are you waiting for?" Plagg hissed. "Go in."

Adrien nodded and pushed open the door. Marinette's room was as he remembered it: pale pink and tidy. If he hadn't known any better he would have thought no one was in. He crept across the floor and silently slipped up the narrow staircase to her bed.

Marinette was tucked neatly beneath her blanket. Her chest rose and fell with every breath; she sighed softly in her sleep. Adrien remembered the last time he'd watched her sleep: the night he fished her out of the Seine. He flushed – that had been the night he'd first realised that maybe he had feelings for the girl.

But did she have feelings for him?

Marinette, who had always been so flustered around him. Who couldn't get a sentence out without stuttering. Who spoke in spoonerisms and jumbled words.

Ladybug, who had always rejected his advances. Who flirted back, but made it painfully clear it was nothing more than playful banter. Who was strong and confident and could dish back whatever he gave her.

The girl who had told him of her heartbreak once on a lonely balcony. The girl who revealed her feelings for another boy on a candlelit rooftop.

There was no way – _no way –_ she wanted him too. It was an impossible dream.

He sat down at the foot of her bed; his eyes latched onto the yellow and green charm sitting innocently on her shelf. Even if she didn't return his feelings, he owed it to her to tell her.

To tell her that he loved her, all of her, completely and utterly.

* * *

The first thing Marinette saw was a square of starlight floating above her head. Then the wooden frame around it. Then the pale ceiling, illuminated by a lamp's soft glow.

Then she felt the bed beneath her, the blanket on top. Her fingers pressing into the soft mattress, the pillow cradling her head.

Her head. Dull pain throbbed at the back of her skull. Her body ached all over.

What on earth had happened?

She squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to remember. P.E. class. Chloe throwing the ball. The giant hand – an akuma attack! Adrien rushing after her. Chat Noir prising her from a giant hand. Being sped away to Notre Dame. Scaling a wall in the rain.

Yes, that was right. Then the akuma – King Kong or something? - grabbed her again, brought her back. She couldn't transform because of her earrings.

Marinette gasped, hands shooting up to check her ears. Her Miraculous were back in place.

Of course they were; she remembered capturing the akuma. But why did she feel like there was something missing?

Marinette was reminded of the incident a few weeks ago when she'd woken up with a cold and little memory of the night before. She'd woken up to find Adrien in her bed, but when she turned now, she felt a small stab of disappointment when he wasn't there.

Probably for the best.

Steeling herself, Marinette sat up. Her mind pulsated and the room span for a few moments. She moved her pillows so she could lean up against the wall without hurting her back then noticed a lump at the end of her bed. Something white and blue and yellow. Something moving. Something peering at her with green eyes.

With a cry of, "You're awake!" the lump launched itself towards her. Fingers curled into her shirt, something warm tickled her neck. The lump quivered against her.

"A-Adrien!?"

Adrien sniffed loudly and nuzzled his face further into her neck. Something wet touched her skin. Marinette hesitantly rested her arms on his back and felt silent sobs wrack through chest. Finally he collected himself and pulled back enough to look at her.

"S-sorry." He smiled. "I'm just glad you're okay. I mean, I already knew… your kwami said… but I needed to see you awake."

Marinette lost herself for a second staring awestruck into his glistening green eyes. Then his words registered in her head. "Wait, what? M-my kwami? You know?"

Adrien furrowed his brow. "You told me. Before you fainted. You were Ladybug and transformed back."

"I…" Marinette's face flashed cold. She suddenly remembered. After the fight, Chat Noir desperately searching for Marinette. Feeling so guilty she'd worried him, and so tired of all those secrets, all those shadows in each other's lives, and so emotionally exhausted that it had seemed like the best thing to do.

Now, of course, the force of her mistake nearly made her faint again. But Adrien cradled her head with his hand and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Don't worry. I'm glad you told me. Everything makes so much sense now."

"But… you… me…" Marinette blinked several times. "You're not disappointed?"

"Why would I be disappointed? The two girls I love are the same."

Marinette jolted and pushed him off of her. "What!"

Adrien flushed and backed away, rubbing his neck. "Sorry, I shouldn't have sprung that on you. After all, you've already told me you like someone else." He sighed, smile turning melancholy. "I just wanted you to know."

"Like… someone else?"

"Don't you remember?" Adrien dropped his voice and the smile faded altogether. "As Ladybug… when I confessed to you and you said there was a boy."

Marinette blinked. Then blinked again. Then she laughed. "Adrien… the boy was you."

"What?!" Adrien's mouth fell open. He crawled closer to her and sat cross-legged next to her knees. "But… but you can't talk to me properly."

"That's because whenever I see you I get all tongue-tied." She shook her head and tried to fight down the blush rising to her face. "I've liked you ever since you gave me your umbrella."

His shock melted into joy. "Really? That long? But wait. If you liked me then why have you been avoiding me?"

Marinette looked away, shoulders rising to her ears.

When a reply didn't come, Adrien continued. "You saw me that day, didn't you? When I brought you home. You saw me that morning and figured out that I'm Chat Noir."

Marinette nodded silently.

"But if you liked me as Adrien why did you push me away?"

"Because you loved Ladybug," she whispered. "Not me. And I thought if – when – you found out that I'm Ladybug you'd lose interest."

"Why would you think that? I love Ladybug. I love _you."_

"Because you were – _are!_ –Adrien Agreste!" she burst out. "You're the most desirable guy at school! You're handsome and charming and funny and kind and generous and amazing. And I'm-" her shoulders fell- "just me. It's a bit underwhelming to think it's just been me under the mask, right?"

Adrien scooted closer and inclined his head towards her. "Marinette," he said softly, but with an edge to his voice. "I couldn't be more thrilled that it's you. Even if you think you're 'just you', I think you're amazing. Even though I first fell for Ladybug, I started falling for you too. I love _you._ All of you. With and without the mask."

His nose was touching hers, his breath tickling her lips. Marinette's heart thumped erratically, and she wanted to both shove him away and pull him closer. Instead she took a deep, trembling breath. "S-so, when you were here. As Chat Noir. And you said the other girl you liked was already in love. That was me?"

Adrien chuckled quietly. "Yeah, it was you. I was always you." He drew back a couple of inches and stared into her eyes. "Marinette, please. Tell me… do you love me? All of me? With and without the mask?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Can I kiss you?"

Marinette turned red. How long had she been waiting for him to say that? How many times had she dreamt about this moment? So now that it had finally happened, why did she feel so hopelessly unprepared?

Before she could remember how to speak, the door below opened and Adrien jumped back as if electrocuted. Tom poked his head up, spotted them, and hurtled into the room, shortly followed by Sabine.

Adrien quickly clambered off the bed to allow her parents more space. As the Dupain-Cheng family hugged, he lingered awkwardly by the narrow staircase.

"You're not going, are you?" Tom asked, his arms wrapped firmly around Sabine and Marinette.

"Please, stay for dinner," Sabine added.

Adrien shook his head. "I'm sorry but I have to get home. My father doesn't actually know I'm out… I'll see you at school tomorrow, Marinette."

He didn't make it out of the room. Marinette hurtled after him, catching his arm when he was mere steps from the door. "Before you go," she said as he whirled around, "you forgot something."

"I did?"

"This." Marinette grinned nervously then rose onto the tips of her toes, drawing her face next to his. She held it there for a moment, just in case he'd changed his mind.

Adrien cupped her face, his other hand resting on the small of her back, and leant down to close the gap. He pressed his lips to hers in a sweet, tender kiss.

It ended all too soon. He pulled away after a few seconds, and although she missed the softness and warmth of his mouth, the smile he gave her afterwards could have made her fall in love with him all over again.

"Are you sure you won't stay for dinner?" Sabine called as she and her husband clambered down the stairs.

Marinette blushed and leapt backwards. "S-sorry!"

"Why are you apologising?" His smile slid into an easy _Chat Noir_ grin. "I'd love to stay but I really do have to get home. I'll see you tomorrow, princess."

Marinette shoved him playfully. "Okay."

"I'm sorry I can't stay," Adrien said to her parents. "Maybe another day?"

"Definitely," said Tom sternly. "We need to have a chat."

Adrien paled slightly, but grinned when Tom winked. "Okay. Goodbye." He brushed a final kiss against Marinette's knuckles and departed.

* * *

"Girl!" Alya cried the next morning, throwing her arms around a bemused Marinette. "How are you feeling? We visited you yesterday but you were out cold."

"I'm sorry about that," Marinette replied, smiling bashfully. "When the akuma attacked me yesterday I hit my head. But Ladybug cured me. Except I guess I was still pretty exhausted and yeah…"

"About that… do you fancy giving me an account of what happened? For the Ladyblog. I didn't get anything on film."

"Sure! Maybe later though."

"Sweet." Alya grinned. "Oh, did Adrien visit you by any chance? He was meant to come with us but you know what his bodyguard's like."

"Yeah, he visited." Marinette sighed, eyes growing misty. "He was there when I woke up."

Alya gasped. "What happened? Don't leave _anything_ out. What did he say? He was super worried when that akuma got you yesterday. Chased after it until Chat Noir arrived."

Marinette gave a giggle and turned to face the front of the classroom. "He did say he was worried, and that he wanted to make sure I was okay."

" _And?"_ Alya pressed.

"And… he may have said-"

"Good morning!" Adrien stood in front of Marinette's desk, teeth glinting. She hadn't seen him come in. "Quick question for you. I forgot to ask last night."

"What is it?"

"Do you want to catch a movie with me later? Just the two of us?" He propped his elbows on the desk, his face on his hands.

Despite everything that had happened before, Marinette felt her nose and cheeks heat up. "Like a- a date?"

"Like the luckiest guy in the entire world and his _beautiful_ girlfriend."

Something clattered next to her, but Marinette didn't look away form Adrien. "I don't remember agreeing to be your firlgriend. I mean girlfriend."

His attempt at a suave smirk disappeared. "I'm sorry, I thought-"

Marinette giggled and scratched his head affectionately. "I'm joking. I'd love to go to the movies as your girlfriend."

Adrien laughed, leaned forward, and kissed her.

Neither heard Alya drop her notebook _again,_ or Chloe's scream of disgust, or Nino's triumphant cheer. They didn't hear Rose and Juleka applaud, or Mylene's delighted _whoops!_ And they didn't hear Madame Bustier walk in and laugh, "It's about time."

All they could hear was the beating of their hearts, and a low, contented purr.

* * *

 **There you have it! A completed romance with a cheesy ending even though I really suck at writing romance but never mind.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed my silly little story. I've currently got a few more in the works – a couple of silly oneshots (which hopefully will stay the right genre this time) and a version of Beauty and the Beast (overdone but I have a few twists up my sleeve…)**

 **See y'all next time!**

 **Flare, the Frivolous~**


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